Pema Khandu


Pema Khandu is an Indian politician and the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. Since assuming office of chief minister in July 2016, he and his government have twice changed their party affiliation; in September from the Indian National Congress to the Peoples Party of Arunachal, and then in December 2016 to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Previously he had served as Minister of Tourism, Urban Development and Water Resources in Nabam Tuki's government.

Personal life

Khandu is the eldest son of former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, who died in a helicopter accident on 30 April 2011 on a constituency visit to Tawang. He is a graduate from Hindu College. Khandu is a Buddhist by religion.

Career

Post his father's death, Khandu was included in the state government as Cabinet Minister for Water Resource Development and Tourism. He won the bye election to his father's constituency uncontested Mukto on 30 June 2011 as an Indian National Congress candidate.
Khandu became a secretary of the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee in 2005, and the president of the Tawang District Congress Committee in 2010. He was elected Congress Legislature Party leader on 16 July 2016 replacing Nabam Tuki.
Khandu was re-elected unopposed from Mukto in the 2014 Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election. Khandu took the oath as the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh on 17 July 2016 at the age of 37 years following a year long political crisis.
On 16 September 2016, 43 MLAs from the ruling party, under the CM Pema Khandu, defected from Indian National Congress to People's Party of Arunachal, an ally of Bharatiya Janata Party.
On 21 December 2016 in a high octane drama Khandu was suspended from the party by the party president and Takam Pario was named as the next likely Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh replacing Khandu after People's Party of Arunachal suspended Khandu along with 6 other MLAs.
In December 2016, Khandu proved majority on the floor of the house with 33 of the People's Party of Arunachal’s 43 legislators joining the Bharatiya Janata Party as the BJP increased its strength to 45 with support of two independents as it had 11 MLAs already. He became second Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh of Bharatiya Janata Party in Arunachal Pradesh after 44 days Gegong Apang led government in 2003.
During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, Arunachal Pradesh became the first State in India to declare itself coronavirus free after the lone patient who tested positive recovered from the disease.