BJP joins Pema Khandu's government in Arunachal Pradesh

The Bharatiya Janata Party in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday officially became a part of the People’s Party of Arunachal government with the induction of senior BJP MLA Tamiyo Taga in the council of ministers.

Arunachal Pradesh is now the 14th state having a coalition government. PPA government is a constituent partner of the North East Democratic Alliance.

Governor V Shanmuganathan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Taga in presence of Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his Cabinet colleagues besides, civil and police officials in a function organised in the Darbar Hall of the Raj Bhawan.

Khandu axed Industries, Textiles and Handicrafts and Cooperation Minister Tapang Taloh from the Cabinet to accommodate Taga.

Talking to reporters later, Khandu said, “It is a part and parcel of the system. One has to be dropped to accommodate another.”

Khandu was sworn in as the chief minister on July 16 after months of political turmoil replacing Nabam Tuki who was reinstated on the post by the Apex Court.

Khandu staged a dramatic exodus of Congress lawmakers and joined the PPA, a BJP ally with 43 MLAs on September 16, 65 days after the Supreme Court reinstated the Congress government in the state on July 13.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu paraded 42 MLAs before assembly speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongdok who accepted the merger.

In a House of 60 members, now PPA has 44 MLAs, BJP has 11, Congress 3 and 2 independents. Congress MLAs Gabriel Denang Wangsu and Wanglin Sawin were reinstated as the member of the Sixth legislative assembly by speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongdok on September 23 after the Gauhati high court directed the speaker to take up their case under Constitutional provisions.

Both the MLAs have put in their papers before the recent series of political developments that led to first Tuki government falling in January this year, imposition of President’s rule and installation of the late Kalikho Pul government on February 19 for a short span.

IMAGE: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, left, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Photograph: @CMPemaKhandu/Twitter