- Party
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- Born
- 21 August 1979, Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh
- Education (declared)
- BA (History Honours), Hindu College, University of Delhi (2000)
- In current post since
- 17 July 2016
- Seat
- Mukto (ST), Tawang (Legislative Assembly)
Pema Khandu was born in Tawang in 1979, the eldest son of former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, and belongs to the Monpa community. He studied history at Hindu College in Delhi.
Congress years
He became president of the Tawang District Congress Committee in 2010. After his father's death in 2011 he joined the state cabinet and won Mukto unopposed in a by-election, and he was returned unopposed again in 2014.
Chief Minister
In July 2016, after a year-long political crisis in the state, he was sworn in as Chief Minister at the head of a Congress government. In September 2016, 43 MLAs moved to the People's Party of Arunachal, and in December Khandu and 33 of them joined the BJP. The BJP won 41 of the 60 seats in 2019 and 46 in 2024, and he stayed on as Chief Minister both times.
His 2024 affidavit declares no criminal cases, assets of about Rs 332 crore and liabilities of about Rs 180 crore, among the largest declared by any Chief Minister we profile. We have not found any case or court finding against him.
Career at a glance
- 2010President of the Tawang District Congress Committee
- 2011Wins Mukto unopposed in a by-election after his father's death
- 2014Re-elected unopposed from Mukto
- Jul 2016Sworn in as Chief Minister after a year-long political crisis
- Dec 2016Joins the BJP with 33 MLAs, via the People's Party of Arunachal
- May 2019BJP wins 41 of 60 seats; sworn in again
- 2024BJP wins 46 of 60 seats; re-elected Chief Minister
The record card
Facts only, each from a public record. This is not a rating. Affidavit figures are the leader's own sworn declarations at the time of filing.
| Declared criminal cases | 0Arunachal Pradesh 2024 affidavit, Mukto | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Convictions | None declared2024 affidavit | Source |
| Declared assets | Rs 332.57 crore2024; liabilities of Rs 180.28 crore | Source |
| BJP seats, 2024 assembly election | 46 of 60Up from 41 in 2019 | Source |
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Sources
Photo: Divyansh0514, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
This profile is built only from public records and attributed reports; read how we make these profiles. If anything here is wrong or out of date, or if you are Pema Khandu's office and want to respond, write to devv@bharatverseh.com. Every correction is listed in our corrections log.

