Arunachal CM faces floor test today

The newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Kalikho Pul will on Thursday take to floor test.

Ahead of the Confidence motion, the Pul government received a shot in the arm with eight MLAs, who are believed to be loyalists of former chief minister Nabam Tuki, extended their support to him on Wednesday.

With the joining of the eight MLAs, the strength of the Pul camp has now grown to 41, including 28 Congress members, 11 BJP and two Independents. The House has an effective strength of 58, though the original strength was 60.

A new Speaker will also be elected as the seat is lying vacant since December 16.

Dissident Congress leader Pul was sworn-in as the eighth Chief Minister of the state on Friday after over three months' of political instability. The President's rule, which was imposed in the state on January 26, lifted on February 19.

Governor Jyoti Prashad Rajkhowa has summoned the seventh session of the new assembly from February 25-27.

Earlier, the last session of previous assembly was held in a makeshift venue at Naharlagun in December last year. In the session, Speaker Nabam Rebia was impeached and the Nabam Tuki government was voted out by 33 MLAs in the 60-member House.