Four-time MLA and chairman of the state election campaign committee of the Congress, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has been appointed as the new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, while Mukesh Agnihotri will be his deputy.
Both the chief minister and his deputy will take oath today, December 11, at 11 am, however, Raj Bhavan sources told ANI that the swearing-in ceremony will take place at 1.30 pm.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Ashok Gehlot and many other leaders will attend the swearing-in ceremony tomorrow.
The Congress wrested power from the BJP by winning 40 of the 68 assembly seats in the hill state. Voting took place on 12 November and the results were announced on 8 December.
After being elected CM, Sukhu thanked the Congress and the Gandhi family for giving him this opportunity. He said that despite being from a simple family, he is going to become the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.
“I am happy that I am going to become CM despite being from a simple family. I am thankful to Congress party and Gandhi family for giving me this opportunity. My mother never stopped me from joining politics. I am here today I have arrived.” Because of his blessings,” said Sukhu.
Sukhu is a grassroots politician who has risen from the ranks and has vast organizational experience in the hill state. Sukhu will be the first Congress leader from “lower Himachal” to reach the top post.
Son of a Road Transport Corporation driver, Sukhu had a humble beginning and used to run a milk counter in Chhota Shimla during his early days. He was the general secretary of the state unit of the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and later became the president of the students’ union. He did his MA and LLB from Himachal Pradesh University and was twice elected corporator of Shimla Municipal Corporation.
The affable and friendly Sukhu has a wide network in the hill state owing to his long stay in the organisation.
He won the assembly election for the first time from Nadaun in 2003, retained the seat in 2007 but lost in 2012 and won again in 2017 and 2022. Sukhu will be the second chief minister from Hamirpur district after BJP’s Prem Kumar Dhumal.
Meanwhile, after the party high command announced Sukhu as the next chief minister on Saturday, followers of the party’s state chief Pratibha Singh raised slogans demanding that she be made the chief minister. He said the chief minister should be like “Rani Sahiba”, a reference to Pratibha Singh as she was married into the erstwhile royal family of Rampur Bushahr. Party sources indicated that Vikramaditya Singh, son of Virbhadra Singh, would be inducted into the cabinet. Pratibha Singh is the MP from Mandi and did not contest the assembly elections.
When asked about the discontent of Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh, he said, “There is no such discontent.”
Virbhadra Singh, who passed away last year, was chief minister several times and was a prominent political leader of the state. Pratibha Singh has said that her late husband’s legacy and his goodwill among the people was a major factor in the Congress’ victory in the state.
(with inputs from agencies)
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