Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul was found hanging at his home on Tuesday. Initial reports suggest that the rebel Congress leader committed suicide.
Director general of police, AP, S Nityanandan confirmed the incident.
“It is sad and really unfortunate that young leader Kalikho Pul is no more with us,” ex-CM Nabam Tuki told ANI. “A loss for entire Arunachal Pradesh. The Congress family is with his family in this moment of grief.”
One of his three wives found him hanging this morning.He is survived by three wives and four children.
As Pul's death news spread all the MLAs from ruling and opposition parties, ministers, friends and members of public rushed to the bungalow.
Mr Pul was chief minister for around four months after the state was placed under President's Rule following a series of dramatic developments that saw the Congress government being voted out by party rebels, along with the opposition BJP. He was only 47.
The Centre imposed President’s Rule on January 26, and Pul, the leader of the Congress dissidents’ faction, was sworn in as chief minister on February 19. Twenty rebel Congress legislators and 11 BJP MLAs supported him.However, the Supreme Court restored the Congress government, scrapping all decisions by the governor that precipitated the fall of the previous administration and ending Pul’s tenure at the helm in the state.
He was from Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh and was State Finance Minister in the ministry of Chief Minister Gegong Apang from 2003 until 2007.Kalikho belongs from Kaman Mishmi ethnic group.
President Pranab Mukherjee expressed his condolences