Pema Khandu Takes Oath as Arunachal Pradesh CM For Third Time in a Row, 8 Fresh Faces in Cabinet

New Delhi: Pema Khandu took oath as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday, June 13, while Chowna Mein took oath as the his deputy. This is Pema Khandu's third straight term as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. The BJP returned to power in Arunachal Pradesh for the third time in a row, winning 46 seats out of 60 in the just-concluded state assembly elections. 

Khandu, the MLA of Mukto, was sworn in by Governor KT Parnaik in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and several other leaders. The sweraring-in ceremony was held at Dorjee Khandu State Convention Centre. 

Pema Khandu was unanimously elected as the BJP Legislature Party Leader in a meeting held on Wednesday under the observation of senior party leaders Tarun Chugh and Ravi Shankar Prasad. Union minister Kiren Rijiju, who hails from the northeastern state, was also present in the meeting. Khandu became CM for the first time in 2016.

8 Fresh Faces in Khandu's Cabinet 

11 MLAs were also sworn-in as ministers in Khandu cabinet on Wednesday. Among them were Deputy CM Chowna Mein, former assembly speaker PD Sona, BJP state president Biyuram Wahge, and Dasanglu Pul, the widow of former CM Kalikho Pul. While Dasanglu Pul is the lone woman minister, the new cabinet has eight fresh faces. The portfolios would be allocated later in the day, following which the first cabinet meeting of the new government would be held. 

Will Work To Fulfil BJP's Poll Promise 

After taking oath as the chief minister for a third consecutive term, Khandu said the BJP returned to power in the state due to the development works undertaken by the Centre in the Northeast. "We are committed to fulfiling all the promises. We will run the government in the next five years based on the electoral promises for the welfare and development of the people," he said.

The first cabinet meeting would chalk out a developmental roadmap for the first 100 days of the government, he added. Maintaining that Arunachal Pradesh with 26 major tribes and more than 100 sub-tribes is unique in nature, Khandu said the new government would work for the welfare of all and make efforts to make it a developed state.