Kalikho Pul wins trust vote in Arunachal assembly

New Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul on Thursday proved his majority on the floor of the assembly with the support of 40 MLAs.

The 40 MLAs who lent support to Pul comprised 27 of Congress, 11 of BJP and two independents.

The nine Congress MLAs of the Tuki camp who shifted their allegiance to Pul on Wednesday voted for him. The speaker did not vote.

The 17 Congress MLAs loyal to former chief minister Nabam Tuki were absent following CLP chief whip (Tuki group) Rajesh Tacho's stern direction to the party MLAs to abstain from voting in support of Pul.

However, chief whip of CLP (Pul group) Pema Khandu had issued another whip directing the party MLAs to vote in favour of the incumbent chief minister.

Pul, sworn in on February 19 when central rule was withdrawn from the state, had moved the motion of confidence in the House immediately after election of Wangki Lowang as the new speaker to prove his strength.

Participating in the motion, Pul said several attempts were made to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi but appointments were denied.

"We have requested the party high command for change in leadership but did nothing against the Congress party ...Our government will be a Congress government with outside support from the BJP and two Independents," he added.

Ridiculing Tuki's claim that he still has the numbers, Pul said "whoever has the majority can form the government."

"In a House of 58 members, 30 MLAs are required to form the government and we have support of 41. Moreover, to become the CLP leader, support of only 23 members is required and I have 28 with me," he said.

Criticising Tuki, the new CM alleged that there was no consensus during the former's regime as he ran an "autocratic government" and the state's financial position was in bad shape.

"The state recorded an over draft of Rs 1,253.14 crore with RBI during the last three years for which the state government was unable to provide salaries to the employees in time," he said.

The chief minister said he has full faith in the judiciary and whatever was done to form the government was in accordance with the constitutional provisions.

"Government formation and floor test have no links with the ongoing court cases," Pul said and assured to bring out a white paper on state's financial health soon besides continuing the corrective measures adopted by Governor J P Rajkhowa during the central rule in the state.