Dissident leader Nabam Tuki was on Tuesday sworn in as Arunachal Pradesh’s seventh Chief Minister, ending a two week political drama over the demand for leadership change.
Tuki, who had led the dissent against his predecessor Jarbom Gamlin was sworn in by Governor J J Singh in the presence of AICC observers Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, former DoNER minister B K Handique and partys general secretary and in-charge of Arunachal Pradesh Dhaniram Shandil.
Tuki, the first chief minister from the Nyishi community, told reporters that his priority was to maintain communal harmony among all tribes for development of the land-locked state.
Tuki was chosen as Gamlin’s successor by the Congress high command after the latter stepped down.
Yesterday, 40 of 42 Congress legislators signed a one-point resolution authorising AICC president Sonia Gandhi to appoint a new CLP leader in the state.
Gamlin, who was sworn in as chief minister on May five after the death of former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, had in his resignation letter recommended the names of Power (Electrical) Minister Setong Sena and Finance Minister Kalikho Pul for the top job, official sources said.
The change in leadership was demanded by a majority of Congress legislators led by Tuki, the APCC chief.
On October 29, both Gamlin and Tuki had offered to resign from their posts. The AICC president had met both of them that evening.
The rift between Tuki and Gamlin had become a major issue dividing the party along ethnic lines in the state with the majority of Congress legislators demanding Gamlin’s resignation for his alleged ‘authoritarian rule’.
Besides 42 members of the Congress, Trinamool Congress has 5 in the 60-member house, NCP-5, People’s Party of Arunachal 4, the BJP-3 besides a lone Independent.
Trinamool Congress and NCP provide outside support to the Congress government.