New Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu being welcomed as he arrives to assume charge of the office, in Shimla, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. (PTI Photo)Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Himachal CM takes charge Live Updates: The Himachal Pradesh ministry will be expanded soon in consultation with the Congress high command and begin work on implementing pre-poll promises from its first Cabinet meeting, Sukhuwinder Singh Sukhu said after assuming charge as the chief minister on Monday, news agency PTI reported. Sukhu told reporters all “guarantee schemes” would be implemented in the first Cabinet meeting. He also said a Transparency Act would be brought in to ensure zero tolerance towards corruption. Sukhu took oath as the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, along with Mukesh Agnihotri taking oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.
Meanwhile, in Gujarat, the second state where Assembly elections were held recently, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will take oath for the second consecutive term on Monday, at a grand function in the state capital in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
A four-time MLA from the Nadaun constituency in Himachal Pradesh and the head of the Congress’s election committee in the state, Sukhu, who is a law graduate, began his career in student politics and went on to rise to the position of state unit chief. Soon after the announcement, Sukhu promised a clean and honest government. He said it was his responsibility to fulfill the promises made by the party to the people. “We wanted to secure power not merely to be in power. We want to change the system. Give me some time. We need to work hard, struggle to bring in a new system and new thinking,” he said.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu (R), along with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, after taking oath at a ceremony, in Shimla, December 11, 2022. (PTI)
The Himachal Pradesh government on Monday said it will take up the issue of restoration of a plaque declaring that the foundation stone for the Atal Tunnel was laid by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi with the concerned authorities.
In a release issued here, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the plaque has been "missing", which is an "insult to democracy". It must be restored at the earliest, he said.
The state Congress had protested after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the tunnel on October 3, 2020, alleging that the foundation stone laid by Gandhi on June 28, 2010 had been removed before its opening. (PTI)
New Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday presided over the Congress Legislative Party meeting, shortly after taking charge.
Speaking to mediapersons, the chief minister said his government would give top priority to the redressal of public grievances. Sukhu further informed that his government would also work towards ensuring transparency in governance.
He also said that all MLAs and their family members would have to pay room tariffs in Himachal Bhawans or Sadan and other state guest houses on par with the tariff charged from the general public. (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday received a warm welcome from employees of Himachal Pradesh Secretariat in Shimla.
Thousands of officers and officials of the Secretariat queued up to welcome the Chief Minister at the Secretariat's Main Gate. People from different walks of life also thonged to congratulate him on assuming the office of Chief Minister.
Later while interacting with the Members of the Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services Officers' Association, the Chief Minister urged them to work with renewed zeal, dedication and commitment to come up to the expectations of the people of the State. (ANI)
The Himachal Pradesh ministry will be expanded soon in consultation with the Congress high command and begin work on implementing pre-poll promises from its first Cabinet meeting, Sukhuwinder Singh Sukhu said after assuming charge as the chief minister on Monday.
Sukhu told reporters all "guarantee schemes" would be implemented in the first Cabinet meeting. He also said a Transparency Act would be brought in to ensure zero tolerance towards corruption. Such legislation normally requires elected representatives to disclose their assets and sources of income.
The chief minister said expansion of the Cabinet would be done in consultation with the Congress' state in-charge Rajiv Shukla with the party high command taking the final call. Sukhu and Mukesh Agnihotri took oath as chief minister and deputy chief minister on Sunday and up to 10 more ministers will be inducted into the Cabinet. (PTI)
The Congress party’s Chaitanya Sharma, 28, is the youngest MLA in the newly-elected 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly.
Contesting from the Gagret Assembly seat, Chaitanya trounced the sitting BJP MLA Rajesh Thakur by over 15,000 votes. Chaitanya is the son of former Uttarakhand chief secretary Rakesh Sharma, who hit the Gagret constituency trail to campaign for him.
He had won the Zila Parishad election from Gagret’s Bhanjal ward in the 2021 Panchayat polls as an Independent candidate. In the recent Himachal elections, the Congress gave him a ticket from Gagret by ignoring the claim of its former three-term legislator Rakesh Kalia, which paid off. Read more in this Political Pulse
The youngest MLA to be elected in the recently held state assembly elections, Chaitanya Sharma (28) of the Congress, feels avenues will have to be created to provide local homegrown jobs to the talented youth of Himachal Pradesh so that they don’t have to go far off places for employment. Read more
A long queue of people jostled their way with bouquets on the stage at Peterhoff Hotel to meet Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu who took oath in the morning. Countless pictures and selfies were clicked as the crowd kept swelling. Security officials had a hard time managing people but the party workers remained determined.
The CM stood on the stage for nearly an hour till the last bouquet was gifted.Sukhu was given a rousing reception at the Ridge after he stepped down from the stage. People could be seen with his face cut-outs. Amil Bhatnagar reports
They say heavy lies the head that wears the crown. It is true of the newly anointed chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. Although the CM has declared that he will make good his party’s promises at the quickest, here are five challenges that could come his way:
Old pension scheme
Even though the Chief Minister has announced that he will initiate the old pension scheme in the very first Cabinet meeting, the finances of the state are ill equipped to bear the additional burden this scheme will impose on the state in the long term. As of now, only a fourth of the state’s revenue comes from its Own Tax Revenues (OTR). Meanwhile, the expenditure on pension has increased from 15.66 per cent in 2016-17 to 18.21 per cent in 2020-21. Know More
Newly sworn in Himachal Chief Minister on Sunday said that the Congress party did not make elections ‘state versus Modi’ as part of election strategy. Speaking to The Indian Express, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who took oath on Sunday, stated that the party had an election plan on all levels.
“Two months before the polls, Priyanka Gandhi held a meeting in which it was decided that we will not make this election a Modi vs State affair. Instead we will make it a State vs State election. This worked in our favour and this win is a result of the meticulous planning,” Sukhu said. Click Here
Former Congress state chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took oath as the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh in Shimla at 1:30 pm on Sunday (December 11).
Two days after the Congress won 40 seats in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh State Assembly, the Congress leadership on Saturday named Sukhu, 58, as the CM. Previously, there was some speculation over who might hold the top post, with the name of Pratibha Singh, the wife of the late CM Virbhadra Singh, doing the rounds. Read More
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has emerged as the winner in the closely fought Himachal Pradesh CM race on the back of the support of a majority of Congress MLAs and a clean image. The 58-year-old leader earned the favour of the party high command for being non-controversial, but will have task cut out during Cabinet formation.
Shortly after the results of the election were declared, Pratibha Singh was the first to stake claim for the CM post. Citing the history of her husband, the recently deceased six-time CM Virbhadra Singh, and the importance of their residence Holly Lodge in the politics of the state, she opened a front to claim the post. Continue...
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday congratulated Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.
"Your rise from the grassroots to Chief Ministership is truly inspiring. I wish you a successful tenure in serving the people of Himachal," Stalin said in a tweet.
Sukhu, a four-time Congress MLA, was sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh at a ceremony in Shimla on Sunday. His party swept to power winning 40 of the 68 assembly seats in the state, elections to which were held on November 12. (PTI)
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel Sunday received a warm welcome from party workers at Raipur airport, after the grand old party formed the state government in Himachal Pradesh. Baghel is the Congress party's Himachal Pradesh in-charge.
Hours after being sworn in as the Himachal Pradesh chief minister, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu visited a shelter for girl students, distributed sweets and said his government would soon come out with a plan to provide assistance to underprivileged students to pursue higher education.
At the Balika Ashram at Tutikandi in Shimla, Sukhu distributed sweets among the students and advised them to set a goal and work hard with commitment to achieve it. He said his government would ensure that students residing in the ashram get proper facilities.
The state government will soon come out with a comprehensive plan to provide assistance to underprivileged students so that they can pursue higher education of their choice without any hindrance, he said. He directed officers to ensure proper maintenance of the ashram so that the girls do not face any inconvenience. (PTI)
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his Congress colleague Sachin Pilot, who have been locked in a turf war, flew together to Shimla to attend the swearing-in of Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu as Himachal Pradesh CM on Sunday, with the party asserting they were "united".
All party leaders are "united" and the two leaders travelling together was not just for photographs, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh told reporters here.
Asked whether it was an effort at unity, he said this is not an attempt but a reality. "We are one." "Both leaders are assets for us. One is experienced, is at high position in the organisation and in the state. Sachin Pilot is young and energetic. The people and the organisation need both of them. What you are seeing is not hypocrisy or a show," Ramesh said. (PTI)
Himachal Pradesh got its first ever Deputy Chief Minister on Sunday, when Mukesh Agnihotri was inducted in the cabinet. Apparently, the move was taken by Congress to accommodate Agnihotri – the leader of the opposition in the outgoing assembly – who was one of the stronger candidates for the Chief Minister's post.
Since the party came to power in the state earlier in the week, several factions have asserted their claims to the top post. The party has been quick on its heels to assuage bruised egos and prevent factionalism to threaten the newly-formed government. However, such dissensions in the party are not new.
In 1967, dissidents threatened to topple the government headed by then chief minister Dr YS Parmar and support a no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition. Hectic activity was witnessed in the Vidhan Sabha and three senior Congress MLAs Thakur Karam Singh, Pt Padam Dev, and Vidya Dhar were closeted with Chief Minister to prevent them from throwing their lot with the opposition. When the three leaders returned to the house they opposed the no-confidence motion.
As per the bargain, Karam Singh and Pt Padam Dev had then been inducted as cabinet ministers and Vidya Dhar as deputy minister but still no deputy chief minister was appointed. Again in 1993, when the Congress got 56 out of 68 seats, the party was sharply divided into Virbhadra Singh and Sukh Ram groups, with finally Virbhadra Singh chosen as leader and Anil Sharma, son of Sukh Ram, inducted into cabinet. But again no deputy chief minister was appointed.
In the present government, which would be expanded in the near future, both, the CM and Deputy CM, are from Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency, represented by BJP leader Anurag Thakur, the Union minister for Information and Broadcasting and Sports and Youth Services. The party has also taken caste factor into consideration going with Sukhu, a Rajput, and Agnihotri, who is a Brahmin. (PTI)
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said that the party wants to implement the promises made to the people of Himachal Pradesh as soon as possible.
Speaking to ANI after Congress leader Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday took oath as the new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi said, "We are very happy and we want to implement whatever we have promised as soon as possible." (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu after he took oath as the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister today. PM Modi assured CM Sukhu of all possible cooperation from the central government for the development of the state.
"Congratulations to Shri Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu Ji on taking oath as Himachal Pradesh CM. I assure all possible cooperation from the Centre to further the development of Himachal Pradesh," PM Modi said in the tweet. (ANI)
Congress leader Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu who took oath as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday said that his government will implement OPS (Old Pension Scheme) in the first cabinet meeting. "We have given 10 guarantees and we will implement them. We will give transparent and honest government. We will implement OPS (Old Pension Scheme) in the first cabinet meeting," Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu told ANI.
Earlier, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said the Old Pension Scheme was the key to the party winning the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections. Addressing a press conference, Gehlot called OPS an 'important issue for society'.
"Every person has the right to live. OPS helps people in drawing sufficient pensions in old age. I also urge the Centre to implement such beneficial schemes throughout the country," he had said. (ANI)
The decisive move on new leadership in Himachal Pradesh notwithstanding, the Congress has its task cut out in the hill state as it faces the twin challenge of keeping factional fighting at bay and delivering on ambitious poll promises.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and his deputy will be bracing for a bumpy ride ahead, with the first hurdle being the cabinet formation that reflects the interests of competing pressure groups in the party, principally the one led by incumbent state chief Pratibha Singh.
Allocation of portfolios would be the immediate vexatious issue for the party, with supporters of Virbhadra Singh already feeling sidelined after the elevation of the late chief minister's professed rival Sukhu. Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh may have made all the right noises to start with, but it remains to be seen what bargain she strikes in order to satisfy her camp.
The buzz is that she has sought a meaty portfolio for her son Vikramaditya Singh, who returned to the assembly from Shimla Rural. Sources in the party said the top leadership has agreed to make Vikramaditya Singh a senior minister in the state cabinet. Organisational unity challenge apart, the Congress government in the state would need to hit the ground running and deliver on the manifesto promises, which appeared to have struck a chord with the voters. (PTI)
If there is something called meteoric rise, this is one. The son of a bus driver is going to take oath as the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.
Not many profiles can touch as many steps of the political ladder as Himachal Pradesh’s 15th Chief Minister-designate Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu‘s does. The 58-year-old self-made leader has the distinction of rising through all ranks since he got elected as a class representative in Class 11 at Government Degree College, Shimla, in 1981. He has never looked back since.
Sukhu was appointed chief of the state unit of the NSUI in 1989, helmed the state unit of the Youth Congress (1998-2008), got elected as a councillor twice (1992-2002) before entering the Vidhan Sabha as an MLA in 2003, headed the state Congress committee (2013-2019). And, now Chief Minister! Read full Political Pulse by Amil Bhatnagar, Rajesh Chander Sharma and Prince Dhanta here
Former Congress state chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took oath as the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh in Shimla at 1:30 pm on Sunday (December 11).
Two days after the Congress won 40 seats in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh State Assembly, the Congress leadership on Saturday named Sukhu, 58, as the CM. Previously, there was some speculation over who might hold the top post, with the name of Pratibha Singh, the wife of late CM Virbhadra Singh, doing the rounds.
Did you know Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's father was a driver with the state roadways? Here are all the interesting facts about the Himachal CM's life.
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Sunday congratulated Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on being sworn in as the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.
"India has been my home for more than 62 years now and I have been happy to reside most of that time here in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. Consequently, I often refer to the chief minister as 'our chief minister'," the Dalai Lama wrote.
"I deeply appreciate the friendship and hospitality that the people from all walks of life in Himachal Pradesh have shown me and my fellow Tibetans all these years," he said.
In his message to the new chief minister, the Dalai Lama wrote: "Like other places in the state, Dharamshala has grown and developed tremendously since I first arrived in McLeod Ganj in May 1960. I am confident that the people of Himachal Pradesh will continue to prosper, especially the less privileged members of the society. I wish you every success in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of the state." (PTI)
Himachal Congress chief Pratibha Singh may have been pipped to the CM's post by a known detractor of her late husband Virbhadra Singh, but the party ensured on Sunday that the erstwhile royal family of Rampur Bushahr gets its due acknowledgement. Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi hugged Pratibha Singh, a Member of Parliament from Mandi, when she arrived for the swearing-in of Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.
Pratibha Singh was seated beside Priyanka on the dais as the party appeared keen to send a signal that all was well and the leaders were united. Rahul Gandhi posed for photographs with Pratibha Singh and her son Vikramaditya Singh.
Floral tributes were paid by Congress leaders to Virbhadra Singh, a six-time chief minister who dominated state politics till he passed away last year, before the start of the ceremony.
Earlier, Sukhu went to the Holly Lodge, the residence of Virbhadra Singh, and said that the first invitation was given to Pratibha Singh as she is the leader of the Congress organisation in the state. Efforts are being made to end the factionalism in the state Congress and there is a possibility of Vikramaditya Singh being accommodated in the state cabinet. (PTI)
The youngest MLA to be elected in the recently held state assembly elections, Chaitanya Sharma (28) of the Congress, feels avenues will have to be created to provide local homegrown jobs to the talented youth of Himachal Pradesh so that they don’t have to go far off places for employment.
Sharma, son of former Uttarakhand chief secretary Rakesh Sharma, is the newly elected Congress legislator from the Gagret assembly constituency. He defeated his nearest BJP rival and sitting legislator Rajesh Thakur by a margin of 15,685 votes. Sharma had won the Zila Parishad election from the Bhanjal ward of his assembly constituency over two years ago as an independent candidate then.
“As a Zila Parishad member, I had started three training centres where basically people were given training in uplifting of soft skills and computer skills. The youth of Himachal have a lot of talent and enthusiasm and they want local homegrown jobs,” Sharma told PTI here Saturday. Read more
Stating that the new Himachal Pradesh government will implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in the first cabinet meeting itself, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Sunday said: "We have given 10 guarantees and we will implement them. We will give (Himachal) a transparent and honest government." (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Sunday said that with the win in assembly elections in the hill state, the Congres has stopped BJP's 'rath'. "We will deliver on our promises to the public in the first Cabinet meeting. The Old Pension Scheme will be restored...Earlier people said Congress will not come to power in any state, but today we have stopped BJP's 'rath'," Mukesh Agnihotri told ANI after taking oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state.
Congress leader Sukhu on Sunday took oath as the new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. Mukesh Agnihotri, former leader of the opposition, also took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. Governor RV Arlekar administered the oath of office to them at a formal function being organized at Ridge Maidan in Shimla on Sunday.
The swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Himachal Pradesh was attended by top leaders of Congress including President Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. Congress won the Assembly polls in the state, winning 40 seats. (ANI)
Congress leader Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, a four-time MLA, was on Sunday sworn in as the 15th chief minister of Himachal Pradesh in a ceremony attended by senior party figures including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Sukhu, 58, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at a ceremony under the open sky at the historic Ridge ground here.
Mukesh Agnihotri, the leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly, was administered the oath as the deputy chief minister. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot also attended the ceremony. Union minister Anand Sharma, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress Himachal Pradesh in-charge Rajeev Shukla, state Congress chief Pratibha Singh and senior leader Sachin Pilot were also present. (PTI)
Mukesh Agnihotri took oath as the Deputy chief minister of Himachal Pradesh in Shimla on Sunday.
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took oath as the 15th chief minister of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday in the presence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge in Shimla. The Congress won 40 seats in the 68-seat Assembly.
Former Union Minister Anand Sharma attends the swearing-in ceremony of Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Soon after the announcement of Himachal Pradesh's next CM, Sharma said he was grateful that the leadership has taken a “democratic decision” and chosen one who has risen through the ranks.
Sharma is a key member of the now defunct G 23 ginger group in the party, which had been seeking collective and transparent decision making in the party. “A matter of pride that the son of an ordinary family will be our Chief Minister, thanks to our leadership, Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for leading a spirited campaign,” Sharma said. Read more
Himachal Pradesh Congress leader Sukvinder Singh Sukhu arrives at the venue to take oath as the next chief minister of the state.
Huge crowds gathered at a venue in Shimla, where Sukvinder Singh Sukhu will take his oath as the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. (Express/Amil Bhatnagar)
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrived at Sanjauli helipad on Sunday, to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Himachal Pradesh CM-designate Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
“Changing political parties is akin to cutting your body from the head. I will die but not shift allegiance,” said a woman in the Sundernagar Vidhan sabha, while waiting to pick up her son from a government school.
Political parties in Himachal Pradesh matter. As power alternates between the BJP and Congress every five years, the mobilisation of the electorate, the setting of public opinion, and the sustenance of elite and workers alike — are all conducted through political parties. In that respect, what does the change in government in Himachal Pradesh point to? Bhanu Joshi writes
Himachal Pradesh CM designate Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu received his mother Sansar Devi at Sanjauli helipadi, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony in Shimla on Sunday.
Himachal Pradesh Congress Chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh, who was seen as a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister following the party's victory in the state, on Sunday confirmed that she would attend the oath-taking ceremony of Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. Sukhu was picked by the Congress high command as the leader of the legislative assembly of Himachal on Saturday, a day after the legislative party meeting conducted after a day-long political drama over the chief ministerial face, passed a resolution authorising the high command to take the final decision on the chief minister.
Himachal Pradesh CM designate Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu met State Congress Chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh at her residence. Following the meeting, Pratibha said that it is her 'prime duty' to take part in the oath-taking ceremony which will take place today afternoon. "Why won't I attend his oath-taking ceremony? Of course, I will go. It is my prime duty to be there with him as he takes oath as CM today," she said. (ANI)
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 more
Leader of Congress Legislature Party Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu will take oath as the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister at the historic Ridge at 1.30 pm Sunday. Congress leader Mukesh Agnihotri will take oath as the Deputy Chief Minister. Senior leaders including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will attend the oath-taking ceremony
A few cabinet ministers will also take the oath. The maximum number of cabinet ministers could be 12, including the chief minister. The cabinet would be expanded later. The names of Sukhu, 58, who headed the party's campaign committee, and Agnihotri, 60, who was the leader of the opposition, were announced by central observers Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bagheland former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda after the CLP meeting on Saturday late evening. (PTI)
The Congress's Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who will take oath as Himachal Pradesh's chief minister at 11 am, met state party chief Pratibha Singh at her residence in Shimla on Sunday. "She is the party's state chief and we all work under her. I am here to extend an invite to her for the oath-taking ceremony," Sukhu said.
Mitran da naam chal da (Your friend is known).
That was an oft-quoted poll campaign line of 60-year-old Mukesh Agnihotri, who will be sworn in as deputy chief minister of Himachal Pradesh — the first ever in the hill state — on Sunday. Another line was his jibe at the then chief minister . “No one can save Jai Ram (Thakur) now, not even (US President) Joe Biden,” Agnihotri had told The Indian Express in the run-up to the Assembly election.
If there was anyone in the the Himachal Congress who took on the BJP government head-on during the last five years — both inside or outside the House — it was Agnihotri. As the Leader of Opposition, he engaged the CM directly on a daily basis. Read more
As Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is likely to take oath as the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh at 11 am today, his wife, Kamlesh Thakur told ANI, "I am thankful to the people of the state. We will continue to support him so that he fulfills all the promises he has made".
The youngest MLA to be elected in the recently held state assembly elections, Chaitanya Sharma (28) of the Congress, feels avenues will have to be created to provide local homegrown jobs to the talented youth of Himachal Pradesh so that they don’t have to go far off places for employment.
Sharma, son of former Uttarakhand chief secretary Rakesh Sharma, is the newly elected Congress legislator from the Gagret assembly constituency. He defeated his nearest BJP rival and sitting legislator Rajesh Thakur by a margin of 15,685 votes. Sharma had won the Zila Parishad election from the Bhanjal ward of his assembly constituency over two years ago as an independent candidate then. Read more
If there is something called meteoric rise, this is one. The son of a bus driver is going to take oath as the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. Not many profiles can touch as many steps of the political ladder as Himachal Pradesh’s 15th Chief Minister-designate Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu‘s does. The 58-year-old self-made leader has the distinction of rising through all ranks since he got elected as a class representative in Class 11 at Government Degree College, Shimla, in 1981. He has never looked back since.
Sukhu was appointed chief of the state unit of the NSUI in 1989, helmed the state unit of the Youth Congress (1998-2008), got elected as a councillor twice (1992-2002) before entering the Vidhan Sabha as an MLA in 2003, headed the state Congress committee (2013-2019). And, now Chief Minister! Amil Bhatnagar , Rajesh Chander Sharma writes
Former Congress state chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will take oath as Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister at 11 am in Shimla on Sunday. Two days after the Congress wrested power from BJP winning 40 seats in the 68-member Assembly, the Congress leadership Saturday named Sukhu as the next CM, during a CLP meeting held in the state.
Good morning! Welcome to today's live blog. We bring to you the latest from Himachal Pradesh, as Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will take oath as the next CM of the state at 11 am in Shimla today.