Guwahati: Arunchal Pradesh chief minister-designate Pema Khandu will be the youngest chief minister of India among all incumbents.
The eldest son of former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu, who passed away while in office on May 20, 2011 in a helicopter crash, Pema (36) is a graduate from the prestigious Hindu College under Delhi University.
He first became a minister in the Jarbom Gamlin government in 2014 and was inducted as tourism minister in the Nabam Tuki government as well.
He however was not happy over the dictatorial style of functioning of Tuki and resigned in 2015.
The resignation of Khandu precipitated the problem for the Tuki government as 30 MLAs led by Kalikho Pul deserted the ruling Congress party.
Pema had joined the Arunachal Pradesh cabinet after he won the Mukto constituency on June 30, 2011 unopposed that his father represented.
His political postings include serving as one of the secretaries of the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee in 2005. Pema also headed the Tawang district Congress in 2010.
The new chief minister was re-elected unopposed from Mukto in the 2014 Arunachal Pradesh Assembly poll.
Meanwhile, outgoing chief minister Nabam Tuki on Saturday made it clear that there would be no floor test.
“Pema Khandu has the support of all 45 reunited Congress MLAs. To appoint him as the CLP leader was a collective decision,” Tuki told reporters from Itanagar.
He denied that there was any pressure from the Congress high command to step down.
Khandu was today chosen as the new leader of Congress Legislature Party after 44 party MLAs unanimously elected him in the place of Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, who was restored to the post only two days ago after the apex court verdict.
