Pema Khandu is the New Arunachal CLP leader

Itanagar, July 16: In a strategic move to win back rebels within the party, the Congress on Saturday appointed Pema Khandu as the leader of Congress Legislature Party in Arunachal Pradesh replacing Chief Minister Nabam Tuki.

Tuki has resigned from the post of CLP on Saturday and has paved the way for Khandu to take over as Chief Minister if the Congress wins the trust vote later in the day.

This decision comes in the wake of wide spread resentment of Tuki style of functioning within the state party unit.

This was communicated to the Congress leadership on Friday night. Last night, emissaries spoke to both Nabam Tuki and Pema Khandu and it was conveyed clearly to them that the  priority for the party is a Congress government in the state. After such plain-speak, Nabam Tuki acquiesced. There were already murmurs within the party that Pema Khandu should be handed over the CM post over Tuki.

The plan according to sources is that in the CLP meeting the name of Pema Khandu would be taken as the unanimous choice for the post of Chief Minister. After that everybody will head to the Raj Bhawan to meet the Governor. There Nabam Tuki will submit his resignation, the state Congress president will say that Pema Khandu is the new leader of the Congress legislature party and he is ready to prove his majority almost immediately .