Chowna Mein

Chowna Mein is an Indian politician from Arunachal Pradesh, who has been serving as the state’s Deputy Chief Minister since July 2016 under the present Government formed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Pema Khandu as its Chief Minister.[1] Mein holds the portfolio of Finance & Investment, Power & Non Conventional Energy Resources, Tax & Excise, State Lotteries, and Economics & Statistics.[2]

Chowna Mein
1st Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh
Assumed office
29 May 2019
GovernorJyoti Prasad Rajkhowa
Tathagata Roy
V. Shanmuganathan
Padmanabha Acharya
B. D. Mishra
Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik
Preceded bypost established
Member of Legislative Assembly, Arunachal Pradesh
Assumed office
2019
ConstituencyChowkham
In office
1995–2019
Chief MinisterPema Khandu
ConstituencyLekang
Personal details
Born (1950-12-02) 2 December 1950
Sunpura, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
Other political
affiliations
ResidenceItanagar
Alma materJawaharlal Nehru University

Prior to his role as Deputy Chief Minister under the present BJP-formed Government, Mein also held the post of Deputy Chief Minister in the state of Arunachal Pradesh from March 2016 to July 2016 under the Government formed by former Chief Minister Kalikho Pul.[3][4][5] After the brief Government formed by Pul, Pema Khandu was sworn in as the 9th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh in July 2016, during which Chowna Mein was also sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of the state.[6][7]

On 21 December 2016, Pema Khandu, along with Chowna Mein and 5 other MLAs were suspended from the People's Party of Arunachal by the party president, and Takam Pario was named as the next likely Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh replacing Khandu.[8][9][10] However, in a fast-paced development, a BJP Government was established in the state, after 33 out of 43 PPA MLAs joined the party.[11][1] The newly formed Government by BJP in Arunachal Pradesh continued with the previous cabinet established under Chief Minister Pema Khandu, implying that Chowna Mein continued to serve as the Deputy Chief Minister under the new Government.[12]

Early life

Chowna Mein was born on 2 December 1950 at Sunpura, Lohit district, Arunachal Pradesh to a Tai Khamti family. His father is Late Chow Pook Gohain, one of the founding fathers of Arunachal Pradesh; who was elected as the first agency council in 1969, then a member of the Agency Council till 1972.[13][14] At the time, Arunachal Pradesh was renamed from North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and made a Union Territory (UT).

Mein is an alumnus of Don Bosco School, Guwahati and Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. His family has long been associated with the political field, and hence his entry into politics can be seen as a natural inclination towards carrying forward his family legacy. Apart from his father, Mein’s elder brother, Chow Tewa Mein has remained an elected member of the Pradesh Council in 1972; and his maternal uncles, Chow Khamoon Gohain and Chow Chandret Gohain have both remained elected members of the Legislative Assembly.[14][13]

Political career

Chowna Mein started his political career in 1995, when he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the 48th Lekang (ST) Assembly Constituency of the Namsai district (then Lohit) of Arunachal Pradesh. He was elected consecutively for 6 (six) times by the people of 48-Lekang during 1995, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 Assembly elections.[15]

In 2019, he changed his constituency [16] and was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the 46th Chowkham-Wakro constituency during the 2019 assembly elections. On May 29, 2019, Chowna Mein was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister after Pema Khandu was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.[17]

Roles undertaken in his political career
Elected as Constituency Year Designation
MLA 48-Lekang (JD) 1995 Became speaker in 1998[14]
MLA 48-Lekang (INC) 1999 Minister - PHE & WS in 1999

Minister - Env & Forests in 2022[14]

MLA 48-Lekang (INC) 2004 Minister - Education, Coop etc in 2004

Minister RD & RWD in 2007[14]

MLA 48-Lekang (INC) 2009 Minister PHE & WS and AHV in 2009

Minister-Finance, Planning & PWD in 2011[14]

MLA 48-Lekang (INC) 2014 Minister-Agri,Horti & AHV[14]
2016 Deputy Chief Minister from March 2016 to July 2016 (under Pul led Govt.)

Deputy Chief Minister from July 2016 to present (under Khandu led Govt)[14]

MLA 46-Chowkham (BJP) 2019 Deputy Chief Minister – Finance & Investment, Power & Non Conventional Energy Resources, Tax & Excise, State Lotteries, and Economics & Statistics[14]

Achievements

Chowna Mein received the Lachit Barphukan Award 2022 from Tai-Ahom in honour of his selfless achievements in furthering the welfare of society and preserving Tai culture.[18][19]

See also

References
  1. Desk, PTI & The Hindu Net (31 December 2016). "BJP forms govt in Arunachal Pradesh". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  2. "Arunachal Pradesh State Portal".
  3. "Arunachal Chief Minister Kalikho Pul Allocates Portfolios To Ministers". NDTV.com. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  4. "Election results". Election Commission of India, New Delhi. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  5. CEO Arunachal Pradesh. List of contesting candidates Archived 2014-08-02 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Pema Khandu sworn in as Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh". The Hindu. 17 July 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  7. "Will try to complete father's unfinished work: Arunachal CM Pema Khandu". Hindustan Times. 17 July 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  8. "After Pema Khandu's suspension, Takam Pario to be new Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, PPA Chairman says". The Times of India. 30 December 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  9. Takam Pario likely to be Arunachal CM in 2017 after PPA suspendsKhandu
  10. Takam Pario, the richest Arunachal MLA, may replace Pema Khandu as CM
  11. "BJP takes another Northeast state as Arunachal CM Khandu joins BJP with 33 MLAs". Hindustan Times. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  12. "BJP Forms Government In Arunachal Pradesh As Chief Minister Pema Khandu, 32 Others Join Party". NDTV.com. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  13. author. "Sadiya Khowa Gohain: A legacy to be questioned or celebrated? | The Arunachal Times". Retrieved 4 January 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  14. "Elected Representatives | District Namsai, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, India | India". Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  15. "Election results". Election Commission of India, New Delhi.
  16. "Arunachal: Dy CM Chowna Mein to contest from Chongkham | Arunachal24". 9 March 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  17. "Pema Khandu sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh | Arunachal24". 29 May 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  18. "Guwahati Police pays tribute to Ahom general Lachit Borphukan at special event". EastMojo. Press Trust of India. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  19. author. "Mein receives Lachit Barphukan Award | The Arunachal Times". Retrieved 4 January 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
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