Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu takes oath as Himachal Pradesh CM; Mukesh Agnihotri as his deputy

Shimla, Dec 11: Four-time Congress MLA Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, a son of a bus driver, was sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday at a ceremony here attended by a galaxy of senior party leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

#WATCH | Congress leader Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu takes oath as Himachal Pradesh CM, in presence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in Shimla pic.twitter.com/WQDWtKfQyR

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2022

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sukhu (58), as also to Mukesh Agnihotri (60), the leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly, who will be the state's first deputy chief minister. The elevation of grassroots leader Sukhu marks a generational shift in the state Congress which has been under the shadow of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.

Himachal Pradesh | Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with party president Mallikarjun Kharge and partys state unit chief Pratibha Singh attend CM designate Sukhwinder Singh Sukhus oath ceremony in Shimla pic.twitter.com/GIo7f7ZVfS

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2022

Party leaders paid floral tributes to Singh before the oath-taking ceremony. This will only be a third Congress government in states across the country after Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, and both theirFormer Union minister Anand Sharma, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Himachal Congress affairs incharge Rajeev Shukla, state Congress Chief Pratibha Singh and senior leader Sachin Pilot were also present.

People in traditional attire gathered at the Ridge in large numbers to witness the ceremony. They danced to the tune of folk music and raised slogans of "Sukhu bhai zindabad". Some enthusiastic supporters lifted their probable ministers on shoulders to reach the venue. But no other minister was administered the oath of office.

Sukhu's family including his mother, wife and daughters were present at the swearing-in ceremony. The state Cabinet can have a maximum of 12 ministers including the chief minister. Hooda said the formation of a Congress government has infused new energy in the party. chief ministers -- Bhupesh Baghel and Ashok Gehlot -- joined Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in attending the oath-taking ceremony at the historic Ridge ground in Shimla.

''I am thankful to the people of the state. We will continue to support him so that he fulfils all the promises he has made,'' Kamlesh Thakur, wife of Himachal Pradesh CM designate Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu was quoted as saying by ANI ahead of her husband's oath-taking.

Himachal Pradesh CM designate Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu also met State Congress Chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh at her residence. ''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,'' he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Shimla | Himachal Pradesh CM designate Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu meets State Congress Chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh at her residence

She is the partys state chief and we all work under her. I am here to extend an invite to her for the oath-taking ceremony, he says. pic.twitter.com/kpuzSLDDX8

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2022

''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,'' Himachal Pradesh Congress Chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh said.

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.

Later, designated Chief Minister Sukhu presented his claim to form a new government in Himachal Pradesh to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Raj Bhavan here. He was accompanied by a team of party's central observers, in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh. A formal letter was handed over to the Governor staking claim to form a new government in the hill state.

The supporters of Pratibha Singh had lodged their protest over the name of Sukhu as the Chief Minister. However, Singh later said that she accepts the decision of the party's high command.

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.