Pema Khandu, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh
Pema Khandu, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, has urged voters to support his fight against the “money culture” in elections and assist him in making the upcoming elections about performance rather than money. A politician who spends hundreds of thousands of rupees on campaigning would spend the following five years attempting to recoup those costs, according to the Arunachal CM.
Second richest Chief Minister of India
Khandu is the second-richest Chief Minister in India, according to data from election monitor Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), with assets worth over 163 crore reported in his election affidavit. He is also the youngest chief minister in the nation at 44. In his speech to a sizable crowd at Yachuli in the Lower Subansiri district, Mr. Khandu pleaded with attendees to work with him to guarantee that the state’s Assembly elections the next year are “based on performance and not money.”
“We always complain against corruption. But have we ever thought where it begins? It begins when a voter casts his or her valuable vote in exchange for money,” the chief minister said.
The 60-member Arunachal Pradesh Assembly and the Lok Sabha both have elections scheduled for the following year, and Mr. Khandu stated he wants to begin his campaign before then.
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Arunachal politics in words of CM
“Unfortunately, in our state, the candidate who pumps out the most cash wins the election. This must be stopped. Money culture is the reason for eligible, capable and honest people losing out on chances to represent their constituency and work for the development of the people,” the chief minister said.
“Where is the time and zest for the representative, who spends crores of rupees on winning elections, to think of development? His five years will be spent on recovering the cash and earning more money to invest in his next election,” he added.
With declared assets of 510 crores, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSR Congress Party is the nation’s richest chief minister, according to ADR data. Andhra Pradesh’s chief minister is Mr. Reddy.
