Pema Khandu

Son of late Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, who died in a chopper crash in 2011, the 37-year-old graduate from Delhi’s prestigious Hindu College had an early entry into governance after his father’s demise.

Pema became the youngest chief minister in the country when he took over as the CM. Since assuming office of chief minister in July 2016, he and his government have twice changed their party affiliation; in September from the Indian National Congress to the Peoples Party of Arunachal, and then in December 2016 to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Khandu, who hails from Tawang, bordering China, first entered the Arunachal Pradesh assembly in 2011 to fill the vacancy caused by his father’s death.

He had joined the Congress in early 2000 and became Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee in 2005 and President of Tawang District Congress Committee in 2010.