Kalikho Pul: How a Carpenter, Guard Rose to Arunachal CM’s Chair
Kulhiko Pul braved many barriers to reach the position of the Chief Minister – but only for a short time.
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Hailing from the remote Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh bordering China, Kalikho Pul trekked a long way in his political career to become the eighth Chief Minister of the state – a position he could hold only for six months.
Starting his career as a carpenter, Pul went on to become a guard and then earned the distinction of being the longest serving Finance Minister of the state under various chief ministers, including Gegong Apang, Mukut Mithi and late Dorjee Khandu.
Pul will be remembered as the most short-lived head of Arunachal Pradesh. He had taken over the reins of the state on 19 February this year after two months of political crisis but last month, the Supreme Court removed the government in power and ordered that Arunachal be restored to the charge of the Congress.
Pul, who was with the Congress till December 2015, rebelled and became Chief Minister with the backing of the Bharatiya Janata Party in February. However, the Supreme Court termed the appointment as illegal. Later, Nabam Tuki was reinstated who then made way for Pema Khandu as the 10th Chief Minister.
An Eventful Political Innings
His political innings started in 1995 when he was elected as an MLA from Hayuliang constituency, and he became the Minister of State for finance in the Mukut Mithi government.
There was no looking back for Pul as he won from the constituency consecutively for five terms and served as Minister of State (MoS) for Power, Finance, Land Management. Pul began as deputy minister for finance (1995-97), then became minister of state for power (1997-99), MoS for finance (1999-2002), MoS for land management (2002-03), and finally Minister for Finance (2003-05) before he was made chairman of a high-powered committee and simultaneously adviser to the CM for about a year.
From 2006 to 2009, he once again served as Minister for Finance, then Minister for Rural Works (2009-11), and then Health. Between 2011 and 2014, he was also made adviser to the CM, then again made a minister in 2014.
He was also the executive member of Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee for 13 years and Pradesh Election Committee Member for 7 years.
Pul had special interest in social service, community service and attending to poor and destitute persons.
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