Pema Khandu has been named as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh for a third term after he was unanimously elected as the BJP Legislature Party Leader meeting on Wednesday.
The BJP had also sent Ravi Shankar Prasad and Tarun Chugh as the central observers in the legislature meet. Union minister Kiren Rijiju, who hails from the northeastern state, was also present in the meeting.
Later in the evening, Pema Khandu accompanied by Chugh and several MLAs called Governor Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik at Raj Bhawan in Itanagar and staked claim to form the government.
The governor invited Khandu and his ministers for swearing in. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to be held on Thursday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and JP Nadda along with several chief ministers of northeastern states are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony.
Appreciating PM Modi and BJP President J P Nadda, Khandu thanked the people of the state for reposing faith in the BJP and voting it to power for the third consecutive term.
He also appreciated the party leadership and the workers for their hard work to ensure victory of the party candidates in the April 19 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,” Pema Khandu said, as per PTI.
"Unanimously Pema Khandu was elected as the Chief Minister of the BJP legislative party. All the 46 MLAs, we had come to stake our claims. The governor has agreed to invite him (Pema Khandu) tomorrow. Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister JP Nadda are arriving here today," BJP Central Observer Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
The BJP, led by Pema Khandu, emerged victorious in Arunachal securing a comfortable majority by getting 46 out of 60 seats.