Pema Khandu likely to be sworn in as Arunachal's 11th CM with gender-inclusive cabinet

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu is expected to be sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of the state along with his council of ministers soon after the results.

In 2019, a full-fledged BJP government was installed in Arunachal Pradesh, and now there are expectations of a clean mandate as 10 BJP candidates won unopposed out of 60 MLA seats, including the present CM Khandu. 

Reliable sources indicate that the swearing-in ceremony for the CM and his council of ministers will take place after the Parliamentary election poll results on 4th June following the counting of votes and results for the assembly elections of Arunachal Pradesh will be announced on 2nd June 2024. 

In 2019, there were no women in the Council of Ministers despite having four women MLAs in the 60-seat assembly. 

According to sources, the new government will also include gender representation. For the past 20 years, the Arunachal cabinet has not had a female minister, despite a few being elected from some constituencies. 

The last female cabinet minister was Komoli Mossang in the 1990s. Dasanglu Pul, the Hayuliang MLA from the remote Anjaw district bordering China and Myanmar, is also a strong contender to be included in the ministry, breaking the long-standing trend of male domination in the cabinet. 

Dasanglu Pul won uncontested from the Hayuliang constituency and is serving her third term as an MLA. 

She was first elected in a 2016 by-election after the demise of former CM Lt Kalikho Pul. Dasanglu has served as an advisor to the Women and Child Development Department and has the experience to handle any ministry if given the responsibility. 

The Women Reservation Bill in Legislative Assemblies and Parliament has already been passed but will be implemented after all formalities are completed. 

Arunachal Pradesh, being a patriarchal society with significant participation of women in Panchayat and assembly elections, is expected to break barriers of gender discrimination in the coming days. 

In Panchayat elections, the state witnessed substantial representation of women at the grassroots level. So far, only one woman has represented the state in the Rajya Sabha, and 15 women have been elected to the assembly since Arunachal Pradesh gained full statehood in 1987.

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