ITANAGAR, Jul 20: The four-day-old Congress Government in Arunachal Pradesh today comfortably proved its majority on the floor of the Assembly even as Chief Minister Pema Khandu said he would take all the MLAs together as ‘Team Arunachal’ to fulfil aspirations of the people.
In the 60-member House with an effective strength of 58, 44 Congress MLAs and two Independent members voted in favour of the Government while 11 members from opposition BJP voted against it.
Acting Governor Tathagata Roy hurriedly summoned the day-long session of the Assembly late last night asking Khandu to prove his majority on the floor of the House.
When the House assembled in the morning with Deputy Speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongdok in the chair, Chief Minister Pema Khandu moved the motion which read, ‘This house expresses its confidence in the council of ministers’ which was seconded by former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki.
Addressing the house, Khandu thanked the members including senior party leaders Nabam Tuki and Kalikho Pul, another former chief minister, for reposing faith in his leadership.
“I will take all the MLAs together as ‘Team Arunachal’ to fulfil the aspirations of the people,” he said adding that his priority would be to complete all important schemes.
He said his prime duty was to bring equal development for all the communities of the State which was largest in the north-east region with 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes.
Khandu said that he would work across party lines and all members of the House would be given enough financial power so that they can concentrate on their respective constituencies for development to percolate.
The Chief Minister, while appealing to members not to rake up issues of the past, said he would fix responsibilities on every minister of his Cabinet and those who fail to perform, would face action.
Khandu was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister on July 17 after months of political turmoil in the state.
In a dramatic turn of events in this land-locked state on July 16, Congress replaced Tuki by choosing Khandu as the new CLP leader, who staked claim to power on the basis of support of 45 party MLAs along with two Independents.
Khaliko Pul, the rebel-turned chief minister, who was unseated by the Supreme Court, returned to the party fold with 30 dissident MLAs. (PTI)
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