Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu to be next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh: Congress

New Delhi: Amid high drama which unfolded in the hill-state since Saturday morning, the Congress has picked Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, who headed the Congress campaign committee in Himachal Pradesh as the next chief minister of the state. Sukhu is the MLA from Nadaun constituency.

People aware of the latest developments told news agencies that the Congress leadership had cleared Sukhu’s name for the chief minister’s post.

The new chief minister is expected to be elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party at a meeting of newly elected party MLAs in Shimla on Saturday evening. He is likely to take the oath of office on Sunday.

Sukhu has effectively edged out senior Congress leader Pratibha Singh, who had been eyeing the CM’s post and had even reminded the Congress top brass that the Himachal Pradesh assembly election had been contested and won citing the name of her husband former CM Virbhadra Singh— who had passed away last year.

She, however, is not very popular among the newly-elected Himachal legislators which could be one of the primary reasons why the Congress leadership decided to choose Sukhu as the next CM of Himachal.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had earlier indicated that the party observers sent to the hill state were seeking the opinion of all party legislators and they would convey to him their views, based on which the party would take a decision on the chief ministerial candidate.

On Thursday, the Congress wrested power from the BJP in Himachal Pradesh, winning a total 40 of the 68 assembly seats. The assembly election was held on 12 November and the results were declared on 8 December.

Besides Himachal Congress chief Pratibha Singh, leader of the opposition in the outgoing assembly Mukesh Agnihotri was also in the race for the post of the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.

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