Himachal Congress chief meets CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 12 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh met with Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu who took charge as the Chief Minister of the state on Monday.

Sukhu assumed charge of the office at the state civil secretariat in Shimla today and said that Cabinet formation will be done as per high command guidelines.

"Today I am taking charge as the CM of the state. All MLAs, Deputy CM and senior members of the party will work for the welfare of the state," he said. He is second person to become chief minister from Hamirpur district after BJP's Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Congress won the Assembly polls in the state, winning 40 seats.

"Cabinet formation will also be done soon as per the guidelines of the Congress high command," the CM said.

Sukhu took oath as the 15th Chief Minister of the hill state at a ceremony in Shimla on Sunday.

The oath-taking ceremony took place at 1.30 pm on Sunday at Raj Bhavan, Shimla.

A loyalist of the Gandhi family, Sukhu (58) is a four-time MLA and former chief of Congress in the state.

Sukhu is known as an affable and approachable leader who has a vast network in the hill state due to his long years in the organisation. He also holds a broad organisational experience in the state owing to his connection with the grand old party for many years.

He was the party's state unit president from 2013 to 2019 and spoke his mind even if it was not to the liking of the party's tallest leader Virbhadra Singh, a six-time Chief Minister.

Sukhu has been in favour of promoting and grooming younger Congress leaders in Himachal Pradesh.

With Congress chief ministers over the past four decades coming from Rampur Bushahr, Congress central leadership was apparently keen to expand its choice.

Sukhu belongs to a middle-class family. He was active in politics from his student days and fought elections as an NSUI candidate. He was president of NSUI and the Indian Youth Congress in the state. He fought and won elections for Shimla Municipal Corporation. Sukhu won the assembly election for the first time in 2003 from Nadaun.

Sukhu was chairman of the Congress Campaign Committee for the assembly elections in which the party focused on local issues and made lucrative promises including an old age pension scheme. (ANI)