Guwahati: The newly appointed Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul on Thursday won the vote of confidence with 40 MLAs present in the assembly supporting the confidence motion which he moved on Thursday.
The 17-Congress MLAs including the former chief minister Nabam Tuki and ex-speaker Nabam Rebia were absent from the House during the confidence motion.
Four-time MLA from Namsang Assembly constituency Wangki Lowang was elected the speaker of the Arunachal assembly. Former minister Pema Khandu moved the motion for the election of the speaker.
Earlier, Congress general secretary in charge of Arunachal Pradesh, V. Narayanasamy, has in a letter sent to each Congress MLA in Arunachal Pradesh, had directed and emphatically informed his party MLAs not to attend the "illegally called meeting" by Mr Pul, failing which, consequences will follow. However, it failed to deter Congress MLAs from moving the confidence motion. Mr Pul had the support of 27 Congress MLAs now in the Arunachal Assembly.
The leader of opposition in Arunachal Pradesh assembly and BJP leader Tamiyo Taga also extended their support to the leadership of Mr Pul. While supporting the confidence motion of the leader of the house, Mr Taga said, “We have been accused of toppling the Congress government which is not the fact.”
Clarifying that BJP can’t support a Congress government, Mr Taga expressed confidence in the leadership of Mr Pul while asserting that he would succeed in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people.
He said, “As the democracy is a game of number, Mr Kalikho Pul came forward and we moved a composite floor test where Mr Pul had absolute majority. We then supported Mr Pul as a better leader and will continue do the same unconditionally in the supreme interest of the state but not the Congress party.”
