Pul proves majority in floor test

New Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul on Thursday proved his majority on the floor of the Assembly with the support of 40 MLAs. The 40 MLAs who lent support to Pul comprised 27 of Congress, 11 of BJP and two independents.

The nine Congress MLAs of the Tuki camp who shifted their allegiance to Pul on Wednesday voted for him. The Speaker did not vote.

The 17 Congress MLAs loyal to former chief minister Nabam Tuki were absent following 

CLP chief whip (Tuki group) Rajesh Tacho’s stern direction to the party MLAs on Wednesday to abstain from voting in support of Pul.

However, chief whip of CLP (Pul group) Pema Khandu had issued another whip directing the party MLAs to vote in favour of the incumbent chief minister.

Pul, sworn in on February 19 when Central rule was withdrawn from the state, had moved the motion of confidence in the House immediately after election of Wangki Lowang as the new Speaker to prove his strength.

Participating in the motion, Pul said several attempts were made to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi but appointments were denied. “...Our government will be a Congress government with outside support from BJP and two Independents,” he said.