Shimla: Himachal Pradesh's newly sworn in Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu is visiting Delhi on Wednesday, his first visit after taking oath, sources said. As per sources, Chief Minister Sukhu left for Delhi from Shimla at 3 pm on Wednesday. Sukhu who was accompanied by deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri and other party leaders will meet Congress's Himachal in-charge Rajeev Shukla regarding cabinet expansion.
Sukhu may also meet PM Narendra Modi to discuss state matters. Later, the visiting Himachal CM and other leaders will visit Alwar in Rajasthan to participate in Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Chief Minister has kept with himself finance, general administration, home, planning, personnel and other portfolios which have not been allotted to any minister.
Also read:HP Governor allocates portfolios to CM Sukhu, his deputy Mukesh Agnihotri
Agnihotri will be in charge of Jal Shakti, transport, and language, arts and culture departments. Sukhu had on Monday said the Cabinet would be expanded in consultation with the Congress high command and it would be a mix of professionals, youth and representatives from all sections. However, it will be a challenge to strike a balance between regions, castes and factions.
The Congress has won 40 out of 68 assembly seats, including 10 in Kangra, seven in Shimla, four each in Una, Solan, and Hamirpur, three in Sirmaur, two each in Chamba and Kullu, and one each in Mandi, Bilaspur, Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti district. Congress MLAs Rohit Thakur, Vikramaditya Singh, Anirudh Singh, Kuldeep Rathore from Shimla district, Sudhir Sharma from Kangra, Chandra Kumar, Kuldeep Pathania from Chamba, Dhaniram Shandil from Solan, Jagat Singh Negi from Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Ravi Thakur, Harvbardhan Chauhan from Sirmaur, Rajesh Dharmani from Ghumarvi, Rajendra Rana from Hamirpur, Sanjay Ratna are the front runners for the ministerships.
