Dorjee Khandu, who led the Congress to a two-third majority in the assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh, was on Saturday elected the Congress Legislature Party leader, paving the way for his second stint as chief minister.
Khandu's election was announced by central observer V Narayanasamy after all the 42 MLAs, in a resolution, authorised Congress president Sonia Gandhi to take a decision on the leadership.
The central observers met individual legislators after the CLP met for an hour in the morning. Senior leader Luizinho Faleiro was the other central observer who attended the meeting.
Dorjee Khandu would be sworn in as chief minister on Sunday.
Khandu drove to the Raj Bhavan to meet Governor J J Singh to stake claim. He alone would be sworn in on Sunday, Raj Bhavan sources said.
Earlier in the morning, all the 42 newly elected legislators attended the CLP meeting where central observers V Narayansami and Luizinho Faleiro were present.
Khandu's name as the CLP leader, however, was not announced till evening.
Asked about the delay, AICC secretary Sanjay Bapna said, "there was no contender."
"Even I was not a contender," Khandu said.
Narayansami, who announced Khandu's name as CLP leader said, "In the situation, the 42 legislators adopted a unanimous decision authorising party chief Sonia Gandhi to decide who would be the CLP leader."
He said Gandhi appreciated the good job done by Khandu and decided that he would be the CLP leader. PTI
