New Delhi: Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu who headed the Congress campaign committee in Himachal Pradesh is going to be the next chief minister, Congress leader and Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel announced.
The Congress wrested power from the BJP in the hill state, winning 40 of the 68 assembly seats. Polling was held on November 12 and the results were declared Thursday, December 8.
The party high command has cleared the name of Sukhu, the 58-year-old MLA from Nadaun in Hamirpur district, for the top job. He is going to take oath at 11 am on Sunday, tomorrow.
Mukesh Agnihotri, the leader of the opposition in the outgoing assembly, is going to be the deputy chief minister.
The names were finalised by the party leadership following deliberations with the MLAs over two days amid hectic lobbying by aspirants, including state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, the widow of the late Virbhadra Singh.
Sukhu – considered a detractor Virbhadra Singh, according to reports – is a former president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, is a four-term legislator and is considered close to Rahul Gandhi.
In a Congress Legislature Party meeting on the evening of December 9, Congress MLAs had unanimously passed a resolution authorising the party president to pick the legislature party leader, the person who will be the next chief minister.
All three chief ministerial hopefuls had reached the party office in state capital Shimla on Friday evening for the CLP meeting along with their supporters, who raised slogans in their favour.
(With PTI inputs)