Arunachal CM warns against ‘money culture’ in elections, calls for collective action

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday expressed concern over the growing menace of “money culture” in elections, warning that it threatens the democratic fabric of the state. 

Addressing a special session of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, which marked its golden jubilee, Khandu urged legislators and citizens alike to work collectively to curb the practice.

“Money culture is a big menace for the state. We should work collectively to shun this practice, which affects our democracy. This should be discussed in the public forum and people must be made aware of its negative impact through community participation,” Khandu said.

Reflecting on the assembly’s journey since its first sitting on August 18, 1975, under the leadership of Chief Minister P K Thungon, Speaker Nokmey Namati and Deputy Speaker Padi Yube, Khandu recalled that the House has so far held 137 sessions spanning 457 sittings and passed 273 important Acts. He acknowledged the relatively low number of sittings and urged efforts to increase them in the future.

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The chief minister highlighted reforms such as the adoption of the e-Vidhan system, which made Arunachal Pradesh the first state in the Northeast and the third in the country to go paperless. He also underlined the assembly’s growing national and global recognition, citing the hosting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s India Zone-III conference in 2022 and the G20 Summit in 2023, which was cleared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite opposition from China.

Khandu further pointed to state-specific regulations such as the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and laws under the NEFA Panchayati Raj Regulation of 1967 as protective legal frameworks still relevant today. Stressing the importance of unity in diversity, he urged lawmakers to work together to identify challenges and pursue political will for Arunachal’s progress.

“If we have political will, nothing is impossible. We should convert our resources into policies for the development of the state,” Khandu said, reaffirming his government’s vision of “Team Arunachal.”