Amid rumours that he is likely to be named the next Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Saturday told news agency ANI: "I am not yet aware of the decision of the High Command." (Facebook)Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Election Result 2022 Highlights: The Congress leadership Saturday named Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu as Himachal Pradesh’s next Chief Minister. Mukesh Agnihotri has been appointed as Deputy Chief Minister. The decision of the Congress high command was announced during a meeting of the CLP in Shimla. Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Saturday said that the new Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will swear in on Sunday.
It may be recalled that Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh too had eyed the CM post. “The party cannot neglect this family. This election has been fought in his name. It is not possible that you use his (Virbhadra) name and face, and then neglect him after the results. This is something that the party high command will not do,” she told the media at her residence on Friday.
Also Read: Gujarat, Himachal results analysis | Gujarat Results | Bypoll results
The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Friday passed a one-line resolution authorising the party high command to decide on the new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. With the Congress wresting power in the hill state by bagging 40 seats in the 68-seat Assembly on Friday, a CLP meet was held at the office in Shimla to discuss the appointment of the new CM. At least three members — state party president Singh, former party chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and outgoing CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri — have staked claim for the CM post.
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Barring one, all pollsters have given the BJP a slender edge in Himachal Pradesh which has a tradition of voting out the incumbent.
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Himachal Pradesh’s next Chief Minister. Mukesh Agnihotri has been appointed as Deputy Chief Minister
the party high command to decide on the new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. With the Congress wresting power in the hill state by bagging 40 seats in the 68-seat Assembly on Friday, a CLP meet was held at the office in Shimla to discuss the appointment of the new CM. At least three members — state party president Singh, former party chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.
The sole woman MLA in the new Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Reena Kashyap attributes her win to “women empowerment policies by the BJP”, and says her work has “just begun”.
Kashyap won from Pachhad seat, which was the only Himachal constituency with two women candidates in the fray. She defeated former BJP leader Dayal Pyari, who was fighting on a Congress ticket, by 3,857 votes.
“I have always believed that women have an important role to play in politics,” Kashyap told The Indian Express. “The BJP government in the last five years offered many schemes related to women, which have resonated on the ground. It is an important victory for not just me but the constituency as well.” Read full Political Pulse here
Congress named Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu as the next Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is a three-term MLA from Himachal Pradesh's Nadaun seat and the leader of the Congress's electoral committee in the state.
In 1989, Sukhu joined the Congress's student wing, NSUI, and was chosen president of its state section. He ran for the Nadaun Assembly seat for the first time in 2003, winning it again in 2007 and 2017.
The Congress on Saturday picked Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu as the next Himachal Pradesh chief minister and Mukesh Agnihotri as his deputy, two days after wresting power from the BJP in the hill state. Sukhu, 58, who headed the party's campaign committee, and Agnihotri, 60, who was the leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly, will take oath on Sunday.
After a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party in Shimla, its second in 24 hours, Congress's central observer and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced the election of Sukhu as the CLP leader. Addressing the media accompanied by another observer, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla, he announced that Agnihotri would be the deputy chief minister.
Soon after, the Congress leadership left for the residence of the governor to stake claim to form the government. (PTI)
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Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Saturday congratulated Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on his selection as the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, saying he was grateful that the party leadership has taken a 'democratic decision' and chosen one who has risen through the ranks.
Reacting to the development, Sharma said on Twitter, "Congratulations to...Sukhu... Richly deserved recognition of his life long commitment to the Congress party and acknowledged contribution." Grateful that the party leadership has taken a democratic decision and chosen one who has risen through the ranks, he said. (PTI)
Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda Saturday informed the media that Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge will attend the oath-taking ceremony, scheduled to be held Sunday. (ANI)
Soon after the Congress leadership named Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu as Himachal Pradesh’s next Chief Minister, party state chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh Saturday said that she and her supporters accept the decision taken by the party high command, news agency ANI reported.
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu who headed the Congress campaign committee in Himachal Pradesh will be the next chief minister, the party announced on Saturday. Mukesh Agnihotri, the leader of the opposition in the outgoing Assembly, will be the deputy chief minister, the party said after a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP).
Sukhu, the 58-year-old MLA from Nadaun in Hamirpur district, was elected the CLP leader and will take oath as chief minister Sunday, the party said. In a meeting Friday evening, the MLAs had unanimously passed a resolution authorising the party president to pick the legislature party leader.
The Congress wrested power from the BJP in the hill state winning 40 of the 68 assembly seats. The polling was held on November 12 and the results were declared Thursday. Sukhu, a former president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, is a four-term legislator and is considered close to party leader Rahul Gandhi, they said.
He was known as a detractor of Congress veteran and six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh, according to the sources. (PTI)
Soon after the Congress leadership named him as Himachal Pradesh’s next Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu spoke to the media and thanked Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and the people of the state.
"Our government will bring change. It is my responsibility to fulfil the promises we made to the people of Himachal Pradesh. We have to work for the development of the state," the CM-designate said.
"Deputy CM designate Mukesh Agnihotri and I will work as a team. I started my political career at the age of 17. I will never be able to forget what the Congress party has done for me," he added. (ANI)
After the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, party leaders will meet the Governor at Raj Bhavan around 7 pm on Saturday.
The supporters of Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Virbhadra Singh raised slogans in support of the leader on Saturday.
A meeting of the CLP is currently underway in Shimla. The decision of the Congress high command will be announced in this meeting.
The new Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will be sworn in on December 11, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday.
The veteran leader, who is on a maiden visit to his home town of Kalaburagi, after taking over as the AICC chief, urged the Karnataka Congress leaders and workers to work with unity to bring the party to power in the state, which will go to polls by April-May 2023.
"We have won in Himachal Pradesh by giving a 10-point programme. We won there with a good majority. Tomorrow there is a swearing-in ceremony there. That's the reason I had gone out to discuss with our senior leaders," Kharge said.
Addressing a mega gathering here, he said after discussion with everyone we have decided to have a swearing-in ceremony for the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister tomorrow. (PTI)