Himachal cabinet will be formed after state Assembly session: CM Sukhu

The new cabinet in Himachal Pradesh would be formed after the Vidhan Sabha session which will be convened soon, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Thursday.

Sukhu, along with all newly elected MLAs of the Congress, met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence here. This was his first visit to the national capital after being elected as chief minister.

"The Himachal cabinet will be formed soon and you will be informed accordingly. The cabinet will be formed after the Vidhan Sabha session," the chief minister told reporters after the meeting.

During his meeting with legislators, Kharge told them to remain united and asked them to share power with all party workers.

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He also urged them to remain connected with the grassroots level and serve the people of Himachal Pradesh earnestly.

Kharge told the party leadership in the state to fill up all vacancies in the government and make appointments in the boards and corporations soon.

The Congress chief asked the chief minister to share power with party workers so that they also feel the ownership of the government and work more closely with public, sources said.

The party will ensure that there is equitable share of power in the hill state between various factions, they added.

Terming the meeting as a courtesy meeting, Sukhu said, "We had come to thank the Congress president as he had campaigned for us in Himachal elections. All 40 MLAs and PCC chief Pratibha Singh has come and thanked Kharge ji on how he extended the party's support."

"Kharge ji told us to serve the people of Himachal with our hearts and thanked the people of Himachal for electing a Congress government," Sukhu said.

The legislators met Kharge a day after Sukhu arrived in the national capital to meet senior Congress leaders.

The Himachal Congress chief and AICC in-charge of state Rajeev Shukla were also present during the meeting.

The sources said deliberations are underway in the party for cabinet formation as only Sukhu and deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri were sworn-in on Sunday in Shimla.

Shimla Rural MLA and former CM Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh said the Congress will provide good governance in the next five years and fulfil all the promises made to people.

Asked about cabinet formation, he said the high command would decide it.

Kasumpti MLA Anirudh Singh said the Congress president told the MLAs not to forget the people and workers who have helped them get elected.

Later, CM Sukhu, his deputy and all legislators, besides the Himachal PCC chief, left for Rajasthan, where they will be joining the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Gandhi has invited all the new legislators to accompany him in the yatra in Rajasthan where it completes its 100 days of journey starting from Kanyakumari.

All new MLAs would take oath at the assembly session to be convened soon, the sources said.

Senior Congress MLA Chandra Kumar was on Wednesday appointed as pro-tem Speaker and he would administer the oath to the newly elected MLAs. Pro-tem speaker is a temporary speaker appointed for a limited period of time to conduct the work.

Kumar will function as chairman of the Vidhan Sabha till the new speaker is elected, a state government notification said.