Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.
NAME – Pema Khandu.
PROFESSON – Politician.
BORN – 29 August 1979.
PLACE OF BIRTH – Tawang District, Arunachal Pradesh.
FATHER’S NAME – Late Dorjee Khandu.
MOTHER’S NAME – N/A.
SPOUSE – N/A.
CHILDREN – 3 (2 son and 1 daughter).
EDUCATION – Graduate from Hindu College (Delhi University).
POLITICAL PARTY- Bharatiya Janta party.
OTHER POLITICAL AFFILIATION –
- Indian National Congress (till September 2016).
- Peoples Party of Arunachal (September 2016 – December 2016).
REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT– The State’s ruling dispensation takes steps on the officials charged with corruption. The Secretary of the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board SK Jain (IAS) has been suspended for alleged irregularities in recruitment. Another remarkable achievement of the Arunachal Government is the passing of the Bill in the State Assembly providing 10-year imprisonment for those who are found to destroy public property at the time of agitations/riots.Moreover, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh has also taken stern action against those engaged in the massive felling of trees and those officers who helped in the setting up of three timber industries in blatant violation of the Supreme Court order.
Arunachal Pradesh has added another feather in its development trajectory with the commissioning of the 24 megawatt Dikshi Hydroelectric Project at Rupa in West Kameng district of the state.
AWARDS – Chief Minister Pema Khandu awarded with ‘The Flower of Joy’ by the Tendhon Cultural Preservation Society (TCPS) in Tawang’s 27th Anniversary Celebration.
BACKGROUND – Pema 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. Khandu is a Buddhist by religion.
UPBRINGING & EDUCATION –Prema Khandu, hails from Gyangkhar village in Tawang district that borders China and belongs to the Monpa tribe. He did his Schooling from Govenment Secondary School, Bomba, Tawang, year 1995, Higher education from Donyi-Polo Vidya Bhawan, Itanagar, year 1997 and completed his Graduation from Hindu College, Delhi University, BA (Hons) History, year 2000.
WALK OF LIFE–
- Post his father’s death, Khandu was included in the state government as Cabinet Minister for Water Resource Development and Tourism.
- He won the by 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.
CARRIER TIMELINE/POSITION HELD-
- 2005 –Pema Kandu became a secretary of the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee.
- 2010 – He became the president of the Tawang District Congress Committee.
- 2011– the bye election to his father’s constituency uncontested Mukto, as an Indian National Congress candidate.
- 16 July 2016 –He was elected Congress Legislature Party leader replacing Nabam Tuki.
- 17 July 2016 – Khandu took the oath as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. Till 16 September 2016 he was associated with Congress Party. The party at the time had 47 MLAs in the 60-member state assembly.
- 16 Sept 2016 to 31 Dec 2016 – 43 MLAs, including Khandu, switched to People’s Party of Arunachal and again took oath as CM of Arunachal.
- 31 December 2016 – Khandu and 33 of his loyal legislators resigned from People’s Party and joined Bhartiya Janta Party. He continues as chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh.
CONTROVERSIES/CASES – A women from CM hometown accused him for gang rape on Feb 15 2018 .Khandu’s late father Dorjee Khandu was the chief minister when the alleged crime took place in the year 2008.
The woman had earlier lodged a complaint with the police in 2015 and her recent complaint is filed with the National Commission for Women (NCW). She alleged that in 2008 the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader lured her to a circuit house on the pretext of a job. She claimed to be sedated before being gang-raped by Khandu, a school teacher Tupten Tashi and a government official Dorjee Wangchu.
