Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu named new Himachal CM, Mukesh Agnihotri as Deputy CM

Shimla, Dec 10: Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said on Saturday that the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh will be Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, and the new deputy chief minister will be Mukesh Agnihotri. The oath ceremony will take place tomorrow.

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, as reported by PTI.

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. The names were finalised by the party leadership following deliberations with the MLAs over two days amid hectic lobbying by aspirants, including state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, the wife of Virbhadra Singh, party sources said.

In a meeting Friday evening, the MLAs had unanimously passed a resolution authorising the party president to pick the legislature party leader after the three leaders reached the venue with their supports who raised slogan in their favour.

Who is Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu?

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. Son of a road transport corporation driver, Sukhu had a modest beginning and used to run a milk counter at Chhota Shimla in his early days.

Rising through the ranks, he was a relentless fighter and remained the party's state unit president for a record six years from 2013 to 2019 despite being frequently at loggerheads with Virbhadra Singh, a six-time chief minister. He won the assembly election for the first time in 2003 from Nadaun in Hamirpur district, retained the seat in 2007 but was defeated in 2012 and won again in 2017 and 2022.

Sukhu will be the first Congress leader from Lower Himachal -- comprising areas merged in Himachal in 1966 such as Nalagarh, Una, Hamirpur, Kangra and lower hills of Kullu -- to occupy the top post. He will be the second chief minister from Hamirpur district, after BJP's Prem Kumar Dhumal. 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.

Himachal Pradesh new CM and Dy CM to be sworn-in on Dec 11

Earlier in the day, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who is on a maiden visit to his home town of Kalaburagi, said the new Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will be sworn in on December 11.

''We have won in Himachal Pradesh by giving a 10-point programme. We have 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. Rahul's close confidante Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to be new CM of Himachal Pradesh

Rahul's close confidante Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to be new CM of Himachal Pradesh

''It (Himachal Pradesh) like victory should repeat in Karnataka also, everyone should join hands and march forward.... I want Congress party and the Congress government here,'' he added.

There are reports that Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu who headed the Congress campaign committee in Himachal Pradesh is likely to be the next chief minister.

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 on Thursday.