Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to take oath as Himachal CM on December 11, Mukesh Agnihotri to be his deputy

A meeting of the Congress Legislature Party elected state campaign committee chairman Sukhu as the Legislature Party leader

Ignoring the claims of Pratibha Singh and intense protest by her supporters, Congress on Saturday chose Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu as Chief Minister and Mukesh Agnihotri as his deputy in Himachal Pradesh where the party unseated the ruling BJP in the latest Assembly elections two days ago.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the historic Ridge in Shimla on Sunday 1.30 pm. The choice of Sukhu (58), who is younger than other contenders, is seen as a cleverly-crafted message that the party is ready to hand over the reins to a leader who rose from the grassroots by turning its face to the demands and pressure put by a political dynasty whose legacy it used so far.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will attend the swearing in ceremony. Sources said there will be no break for the Bharat Jodo Yatra, as Rahul will be flying to Shimla in the gap between the morning and evening leg of the padayatra on Sunday.

Amid sloganeering against the party High Command by Pratibha’s supporters, a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party in the evening elected state campaign committee chairman Sukhu as the Legislature Party leader after the nod from party president Mallikarjun Kharge who consulted former president Sonia Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi.

With observers Bhupesh Baghel and Bhupinder Hooda as well as in-charge Rajeev Shukla informing Kharge that majority of the 40 MLAs support Sukhu, who is considered close to Rahul Gandhi, for the top post, the party decided to go ahead with the Nadaun MLA. On Friday, the MLAs had authorised Kharge to take a call on who will be the Chief Minister.

The leadership also decided to give Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly Agnihotri (60), who was also in the race for Chief Minister’s post, as Deputy Chief Minister. Sources said the leadership also did not accede to Pratibha’s request to make her son Vikramditya Singh a Deputy Chief Minister.

“I personally thank Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. I rose to this post from an ordinary family and the Gandhi family has done a lot for me in these years,” Sukhu said, adding his immediate priority is to take steps to realise the promises given by the party to the people. “There are challenges and we will face them. Power is to transform the system. I will take all people together,” he added.

"We accept the decision taken by the Congress high command," Pratibha, who raked up the legacy of her late husband Virbhadra Singh to buttress her claim of Chief Ministership, told reporters. Her remarks had not gone down well with the central leadership.

Soon after the CLP meeting, Congress leaders left for the Raj Bhavan to stake claim for forming the government. “The Congress High Command decided that Sukhu will be the Chief Minister while Agnihotri will be the Deputy Chief Minister. The CLP unanimously chose Sukhu as the leader. All 40 MLAs have signed the letter,” Shukla told reporters in Shimla.

However, the run up to the second CLP meeting in 24 hours saw a series of meetings, show of strength by contenders Sukhu, Pratibha and Agnihotri and protest by Pratibha’s supporters who chanted slogans as she got edged out, “Alakaman, hosh mein aao (High Command, be in your senses) ” and “nahi chalega, nahi chalega (won’t allow, won’t allow – this to happen).”

Baghel, Hooda and Shukla held a series of deliberations with Himachal leaders as well as had meetings with MLAs individually to know their mind on who should be the Chief Minister.