Bus driver’s son who rose through the ranks to become Himachal CM

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu took oath as Himachal Pradesh CM on 11 December 2022. ANI

4-time Congress MLA Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, a son of a bus driver, was sworn in because the fifteenth Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday at a ceremony in Shimla that was attended by a number of senior Congress leaders together with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of workplace and secrecy to Sukhu (58), as additionally to Mukesh Agnihotri (60), the chief of the Opposition within the outgoing meeting, who would be the state’s first deputy chief minister.

Sukhu’s elevation & Congress stepping out of Virbhadra’s shadow

The elevation of grassroots chief Sukhu marks a generational shift within the state Congress which has been underneath the shadow of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh. Get together leaders paid floral tributes to Singh earlier than the oath-taking ceremony.

Sukhu’s selection because the chief minister is being seen because the Congress giving the highest publish to a commoner, and in addition because the shifting of the celebration’s energy Centre from Higher Himachal to Decrease Himachal.

Sukhu, thought of a rival of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, hails from Nadaun in Hamirpur district and is the primary Congress chief from Decrease Himachal — comprising areas merged in Himachal in 1966 akin to Nalagarh, Una, Hamirpur, Kangra and decrease hills of Kullu — to occupy the highest state publish.

First Congress CM from Decrease Himachal

He would be the second chief minister from Hamirpur district, after the BJP’s Prem Kumar Dhumal.

All former Congress chief ministers together with YS Parmar, Virbhadra Singh and Ram Lal Thakur had been from the Higher Himachal.

A son of a driver within the Himachal Roadways Transport Company, Sukhu began his political profession as a category consultant at Authorities School Sanjauli throughout his scholar life rose by way of the ranks — serving as NSUI state president, Youth Congress president, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president — to turn out to be the chief minister of the state.

Sukhu Vs Pratibha Singh

Within the race to the CM publish, Sukhu confronted a number of rivals together with Pratibha Singh- the spouse of Virbhadra Singh.

Pratibha Singh’s supporters lodged their protest when the title of Sukhu was touted for the CM publish, and asserted their chief, who’s an MP from Mandi and State Congress president, needs to be the chief minister. Singh later mentioned they’ve accepted the choice of the celebration excessive command.

In what will be seen as an try to assuage indignant supporters within the rival camp, Sukhu met Singh at her residence forward of his oath-taking ceremony.

“She is the celebration’s state chief and all of us work underneath her,” he mentioned.

Former Union minister Anand Sharma, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Himachal Congress affairs incharge Rajeev Shukla, state Congress Chief Pratibha Singh and senior chief Sachin Pilot had been additionally current.

Folks in conventional apparel gathered on the Ridge in massive numbers to witness the ceremony. They danced to the tune of folks music and raised slogans of “Sukhu bhai zindabad”. Some enthusiastic supporters lifted their possible ministers on shoulders to achieve the venue. However no different minister was administered the oath of workplace.

Sukhu’s household together with his mom, spouse and daughters had been current on the swearing-in ceremony.

The state Cupboard can have a most of 12 ministers together with the chief minister. Hooda mentioned the formation of a Congress authorities has infused new power within the celebration. “When winds of change blow from the hills they go all the way down to the plains,” he mentioned.

Solely third Congress state govt

The Congress wrested energy from the BJP within the hill state profitable 40 of the 68 meeting seats. The polling was held on November 12 and the outcomes had been declared Thursday.

It will solely be the third Congress authorities in states throughout the nation after Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, and each their chief ministers — Bhupesh Baghel and Ashok Gehlot — joined Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in attending the oath-taking ceremony on the historic Ridge floor in Shimla.

With inputs from PTI

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