Arunachal CM Khandu ‘suspended’, Takam Pario to take over

In a fresh twist to Arunachal Pradesh politics, Takam Pario is all set to take over as the next chief minister of the state. The move comes after the Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA) early today 'temporarily' suspended chief minister Pema Khandu, deputy chief minister Chowna Mein and five other party MLAs from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect for alleged anti-party activities. A party meeting will reportedly be convened at 2 pm to make the decision official.

The 41-year-old Takam Pario was elected from the Palin Assembly seat in the 2014 elections. He belongs to Sangram (Dokio Langpo) village in Kurung Kumey district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Elected on a Congress ticket, Pario later deserted Congress along with 42 other MLAs, and joined the People's Party of Arunachal (PPA). The PPA is part of the NDA-led North East Democratic Alliance.

In the outgoing Pema Khandu government, Pario had been the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) minister. Pario held the same portfolio when Nabam Tuki was the chief minister.

However, Pario is reported to have fallen out of favour when the late Kalikho Pul became the chief minister earlier this year. Pul was found hanging in the bathroom of the chief minister's bungalow in August after the Supreme Court unseated him and reinstated his rival Nabam Tuki as the chief minister (See: Arunachal ex-CM Kalikho Pul found hanging, dead and Congress back in Arunachal as SC restores status quo ante)

During the 2014 state assembly elections, Pario declared assets worth Rs187 crore, making him the richest candidate in the fray during the polls.