Shimla: After much confusion and chaos about who will be the next Chief Minister in Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Sukhu on Sunday took oath as the next chief minister of the hill state with Mukesh Agnihotri his Deputy. The Congress leadership on Saturday evening announced their names after two days of 'consultations' and finally taking the nod from the 'high command'.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was present at the ceremony; he took a break from his Bharat Jodo Yatra for a few hours. Priyanka Gandhi who had arduously campaigned in the state was also present at the event along with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Earlier in the day, Sukhvinder Sukhu went on to invite Congress state-in-charge Pratibha Singh, one of the most powerful claimants to the chief-ministerial position, for the ceremony.
Unlike most 'dynasts', four-time MLA Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu comes from a modest family and had risen through the ranks of a student activist to be the chairperson of the party's campaign unit. He was a known detractor of party veteran Virbhadra Singh who had dominated Himachal Pradesh politics for over five decades until his demise last year.
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Mukesh Agnihotri was the leader of opposition in the outgoing Assembly. His appointment may be seen as a smart balancing move by the grand old party since Agnihotri was a protege of Virbhadra Singh. Soon after taking oath, the Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister said, "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' (meaning chariot)."
With the party bagging its first victory in the hill state without the charismatic presence of Virbhadra Singh, SS Sukhu's elevation makes it clear that the party is ready to move on. More so, the party did not give in to the strong claim to the post mounted by Pratibha Singh, the party's state unit chief and wife of Virbhadra Singh. The Congress party wrested the BJP out of power on Thursday bagging 40 out of 68 seats in the state assembly.
