Pema Khandu sworn in as Arunachal Pradesh CM for third straight term
Itanagar (PTI): BJP leader Pema Khandu took oath as the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh for the third consecutive term on Thursday.
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 Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, among others.
Eleven other MLAs were also sworn in as ministers at the function held in the Dorjee Khandu State Convention Centre. 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, officials said.
The BJP returned to power in this northeastern state for the third time in a row, winning 46 seats in the 60-member assembly
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Contractor death: BJP claims suicide note has Minister Priyank Kharge’s name
Bengaluru, Jan 1: The BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy on Wednesday charged that Minister "Priyank Kharge's name is found at three places" in the suicide note written by contractor Sachin Panchal but Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the minister for want of evidence.
Narayanaswamy, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, said the Chief Minister has been saying that Kharge’s name is not mentioned in the suicide note written by contractor Sachin Panchal, which was wrong.
"Minister Priyank Kharge’s name is mentioned at three places in the seven-page suicide note. You demand documents. Here is the one. What else should we produce?” Narayanaswamy told reporters here.
Chief Minister said there was no document to prove and hence the question of removing Priyank Kharge would not arise, Narayanaswamy noted.
ALSO READ: No evidence against Minister Priyank Kharge in contractor suicide case, says CM Siddaramaiah
“We know that you don’t have the guts to remove him because the Minister’s father Mallikarjun Kharge is the Congress president. If you touch Priyank then he would uproot you. You are afraid of losing power. You are glued to your chief ministerial position,” the BJP leader alleged.
He said everyone was initially doubting the seven-page suicide note written by Panchal but now the FSL report has confirmed that the letter was written by the civil contractor himself.
It is confirmed that this suicide note is not fake but the original one, Narayanaswamy said adding that the government has to answer to Panchal’s suicide.
The BJP leader said there is a threat to Panchal’s family and, especially five sisters of Panchal. He also alleged that Panchal suicide case has a honey trap angle too. He reiterated BJP's demand for a CBI probe in the case.
Panchal died by suicide by lying before a moving train in Bidar district. In his suicide note, he alleged that Raju Kapanur pestered him for rupees one crore, a charge which Kapanur has denied.
Panchal also alleged that Kapanur hired contract killers to eliminate BJP MLA Basavaraj Mattimud and, two other top BJP leaders in Kalaburagi and a Lingayat pontiff.
The BJP alleged that Kapanur is Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge's close aide.
