Pema Khandu took oath of the office of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister for a straight third term on Thursday after the Bharatiya Janata Party returned to power in the Himalayan state this year. Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik administered the oath of office to Khandu at Itanagar's at Dorjee Khandu Convention Hall while Chowna Mein was sworn-in as the Deputy Chief Minister.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by several top leaders from the BJP including party chief JP Nadda and Union minister Amit Shah.
On Wednesday, Khandu, accompanied by senior party leader Tarun Chugh and other legislators called Governor Parnaik at Raj Bhawan in Itanagar and staked claim to form the government after being unanimously elected as the BJP Legislature Party Leader on Wednesday.
Khandu thanked the people of the state for reposing their faith in the BJP and voting it to power for the third consecutive term. He also appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nadda, and the workers for their hard work to ensure victory of the party candidates in the assembly elections including the two Lok Sabha MPs.
“I assured the people of the state that the new government as ‘Team Arunachal’ will keep all the commitments enlisted in the election manifesto and will ensure that developmental activities will be initiated in all the districts,” Khandu said.
Khandu's political journey began amidst a political tragedy after the untimely demise of his father, former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, in a helicopter crash in 2011. His political momentum gained pace after he won the byelections uncontested from his father's constituency Mukto. He further rose to prominence in the state following a constitutional crisis in 2016 that resulted in the imposition of president's rule.
Beyond the political sphere, Khandu is well-known for his enthusiasm towards music and sports. He is an avid music enthusiast and enthrals audiences with renditions of classics by Kishore Kumar and Mohammad Rafi at official gatherings.
He also actively organises cricket tournaments and supports local athletes in the state.