Arunachal CM Khandu resigns, Guv advises to continue till new govt takes office

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu resigned from his post after his party BJP on Sunday retained the power for the third consecutive term with a thumping majority in the Assembly polls.

Immediately after the results of all assembly seats were declared, Khandu called on Governor Lt General (Retd) K.T. Parnaik at the Raj Bhavan and tendered his resignation along with the Council of Ministers.

After meeting the Governor, Khandu, elected to the state Assembly for the fourth time from the Mukto Assembly seat, said in a post on social media platform X: “Hon’ble Governor accepted my resignation and requested me and the Council of Ministers to continue until the new government is formed. Under Article 174 (2) (b) of the Constitution of India, the Hon’ble Governor also accepted the Cabinet’s advice and signed the order to dissolve 7th State Assembly with immediate effect.”

BJP sources said that the 45-year-old Monpa community leader would be the Chief Minister of the frontier state for the third time.

The decision on the formation of the new government and swearing-in-ceremony of the Chief Minister and other ministers is yet to be decided, the sources said, adding that the new Council of Ministers headed by Khandu is likely to assume office after the declaration of Lok Sabha election results on June 4.

The BJP won 46 seats — five more than the last election (2019) — in the 60-member Assembly for which elections were held on April 19.

Of the 46 seats bagged by the BJP, ten including that of Khandu were won uncontested before the polls.

Khandu became Chief Minister in 2016 after he, along with several MLAs, left the Congress for the People’s Party of Arunachal and later joined the BJP.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP registered its first electoral victory in the Assembly polls in 2019.