Shimla: Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took oath as the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Sunday at the Ridge Maidan in Shimla.
The oath was administered by Himachal Pradesh Governor R.V. Arlekar.
Mukesh Agnihotri, the leader of the opposition in the outgoing Himachal assembly, was also sworn in as deputy chief minister.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who flew down to Shimla between two shifts of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who was the party’s campaign face in Himachal, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge were present at the ceremony.
Contrary to what was being speculated, Congress stalwart and six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s son Vikramaditya Singh was not sworn in as a minister. He, however, may be appointed in Sukhu’s cabinet later. Both Vikramaditya and his mother Pratibha Singh, the chief of Himachal Congress and one of the CM contenders, were present on stage with Sukhu.
Sukhu’s mother sat next to Pratibha. Before the programme began, Rahul and Kharge paid tributes to Virbhadra Singh, offering flowers to his photo.
The Ridge Maidan bore a colourful picture, with local artists and people performing the traditional Nati dance of Himachal Pradesh.
On stage during Sukhu’s oath-taking were Congress leaders from across the country, including Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel who was senior observer for the state elections, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, AICC general secretaries K.C. Venugopal, Mukul Wasnik and Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC treasurer Pawan Bansal, leader of opposition in Punjab assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, former union minister Anand Sharma, and Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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