Shimla: Newly appointed Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday assumed the charge of the office at the state civil secretariat in Shimla and said that Cabinet formation will be done as per high command guidelines. "Today I am taking charge as the CM of the state. All MLAs, Deputy CM and senior members of the party will work for the welfare of the state," he said.
He is the second chief minister from Hamirpur district after BJP's Prem Kumar Dhumal. Congress won the Assembly polls in the state, winning 40 seats. "Cabinet formation will also be done soon as per the guidelines of the Congress high command," the CM said. Sukhu took oath as the 15th Chief Minister of the hill state at a ceremony in Shimla on Sunday.
The oath-taking ceremony took place at 1.30 pm on Sunday at Raj Bhavan, Shimla. A loyalist of the Gandhi family, Sukhu (58) is a four-time MLA and former chief of Congress in the state. Sukhu is known as an affable and approachable leader who has a vast network in the hill state due to his long years in the organisation. He also holds a broad organisational experience in the state owing to his connection with the grand old party for many years.