The ruling BJP has opted for continuity in Arunachal Pradesh with Pema Khandu set to take oath as the chief minister of the frontier state once again on Thursday morning.

Khandu was unanimously re-elected as the state BJP legislature party leader for the third time in a row on Wednesday afternoon at a meeting attended by the party’s central observers — Ravi Shankar Prasad and national general secretary Tarun Chugh.

There was little doubt that the BJP would continue with Khandu after the party won both the Assembly and the Lok Sabha polls held simultaneously on April 19, party insiders said.

The BJP won 46 of the 60 seats and both parliamentary seats.

Khandu, son of deceased former chief minister Dorjee Khandu, had won unopposed from the Mukto Assembly constituency.

The National People’s Party bagged five seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) three, the People’s Party of Arunachal two, the Congress one and Independents three.

The NPP and the PPA have already extended their support to the incoming BJP government. The NCP, part of the NDA, is also likely to extend its support.

The BJP won 41 seats and both LS seats in 2019 with him as chief minister. He had become chief minister for the first time in 2016 when he was with the Congress.

After a few months, he ensured a mass defection to the PPA and then to the BJP while leading as chief minister, providing a stable government in the state bordering China, Bhutan and Myanmar.

Khandu’s name as BJP legislature party leader was proposed by state BJP president Biyuram Wahge and seconded by veteran MLA Chowna Mein, the deputy chief minister in the last government. Mutchu Mithi, who had won unopposed from Roing, said the legislature party meeting lasted for an hour and Khandu was elected unanimously. The chief minister-designate told the media that the swearing-in would take place at 11am on Thursday.

Thanking the party leadership, his party colleagues and the people of Arunachal for reposing faith in him, Khandu said that he would continue as “Team Arunachal” for the development of the state and would be guided by the party’s poll manifesto based on challenges and opportunities in the state.