Congress' Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took oath as Himachal Pradesh's new chief minister on Sunday days after the grand old party won the Assembly elections there. Congress won the polls with a comfortable majority after securing 40 of the total 68 seats.
Congress leader Mukesh Agnihotri also took oath as the deputy chief minister of Himachal Pradesh in the ceremony.
A day before the oath-taking ceremony, Sukhu met former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur at his official residence in Shimla on Saturday. He was accompanied by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Congress Himachal Pradesh in-charge Rajeev Shukla among other Congress leaders.
Here is all you need to know about Sukhu, Himachal Pradesh's new chief minister:
Who is Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu?
Sukhu has been a four-time MLA from the Nadaun constituency. He also served as the president of the Congress' Himachal Pradesh unit from 2013 to 2019. Sukhu started his political career with the Congress student wing NSUI and served as the president of the outfit from 1988 to 1995, The Times of India reported. He then became the state general secretary of the Youth Congress in 1995.
Sukhu was born in 1964 in Hamirpur district's Nadaun in a humble family. His father was a driver for the Himachal Road Transport Corporation. Sukhu did his LLB from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla.
"A matter of pride that the son of an ordinary family will be our CM, thanks to our leadership, Smt Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge ji, @RahulGandhi and @PriyankaGandhi for leading a spirited campaign. My good wishes and support to my new CM Sukhu," senior party leader Anand Sharma tweeted on Saturday.
Sharma said that Sukhu's appointment as the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh was a" richly deserved recognition of his life long commitment to the Congress party ."
Sukhu is also known to have been a "bête noire" of Congress stalwart and six-time CM Virbhadra Singh, The Tribune reported. He is known to have taken a stand against the top party leader in the state. The Tribune reported that this also caused opposition for Sukhu from Virbhadra's wife and State Congress President Pratibha Singh.
Who attended the oath-taking ceremony?
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who is currently on Bharat Jodo Yatra, landed at Sanjauli helipad to join the party leaders to attend the oath-taking ceremony on Sunday morning. He was joined by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. "We are very happy," Priyanka was quoted as saying by the ANI on her arrival in Shimla.