Northeast Desk, 31st May: Arunachal Pradesh is poised to see Pema Khandu sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of the state, following a decisive electoral victory. The swearing-in ceremony for Khandu and his council of ministers is expected to take place after the Parliamentary election results on June 4, 2024. This comes on the heels of a clear mandate, with 10 BJP candidates, including Khandu, winning unopposed out of 60 MLA seats.
In 2019, the state saw the installation of a full-fledged BJP government, and the party’s strong performance continues to shape expectations for the current election cycle. Despite the BJP’s dominant position, the previous council of ministers did not include any female members, even though there were four women MLAs in the assembly.
This time, reliable sources suggest a significant shift towards gender representation in the new government. For the past two decades, no female minister has been part of the Arunachal cabinet, with the last female cabinet minister being Komoli Mossang in the 1990s. However, Dasanglu Pul, the MLA from Hayuliang, is a strong contender to break this trend. Pul, who won uncontested, is serving her third term and has previously served as an advisor to the Women and Child Development Department.
The inclusion of women in the council of ministers aligns with broader legislative efforts to ensure gender representation, such as the Women Reservation Bill in Legislative Assemblies and Parliament, which has been passed and awaits full implementation. Arunachal Pradesh, despite its patriarchal structure, has seen significant female participation in Panchayat and assembly elections, suggesting a readiness to embrace greater gender equity in its political landscape.
The state’s history of female political representation includes one woman serving in the Rajya Sabha and 15 women elected to the assembly since attaining full statehood in 1987. The new government’s composition will be closely watched as an indicator of progress towards gender inclusion in Arunachal Pradesh’s governance.