Khandu extends cabinet in Arunachal, 3 inducted

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief MinisterPema Khandu on Saturday expanded his ministry with Governor VShanmuganathan administering the oath of office and secrecy tothree new faces at a function in the Raj Bhawan here.
Those inducted were Dr Mahesh Chai, Bamang Felix and Deputy Speaker Alo Libang Nyapin. In a dramatic move, Khandu along with 32 People’s Partyof Arunachal (PPA) MLAs had joined BJP on December 31 lastyear and had dropped three ministers.
The three ministers were Rajesh Tacho (animal husbandry,dairy development, fisheries, sports and youth affairs), TangaByaling (rural development and panchayati raj) and Takam Pario(PHE, water supply and disaster management).
Chief Secretary Shakuntala Doley Gamlin conducted the function, attended by Khandu’s cabinet colleagues, Speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongdok, former chief minister and lone Congress MLA Nabam Tuki and BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.
The Gauhati High Court is scheduled to hear a case movedby the state Congress regarding joining of 33 Congress MLAsincluding Khandu, with PPA. The BJP Legislature Party leader has also not being elected in the state. (PTI)