Himachal Pradesh: Ever since the election results for Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections were announced, the race for the post of Chief Minister in on. At present three leaders are clamouring for the post, according to sources. Former state party chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, CPL leader Mukesh Agnihotri and party leader Rajinder Rana are considered to be in the race.
It was decided late in the evening on December 9 that the Congress high command will take a final call on who will be the next CM in Himachal Pradesh. The newly elected MLAs passed a resolution on Friday to leave it to the party’s high command to select the next CM.
High Command decision is final
Sukhu in a statement evening said he will accept whatever the high command decides. “Now everything is on the high command, they will decide. We have communicated the aspirations of the MLAs. Whatever decision (by the high command) will be accepted,” he said.
Agnihotri said it could take two days for the order to come. “One line order has come, that the high command will decide. A consensual decision will be taken. The order is expected in two days. Everything in the party is fine,” he informed.
Meanwhile, Pratibha Singh, widow of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, is finding little support from the high command even as her supporters sloganeered that she should be the next CM of the state. However some sources said Pratibha Singh was not in the race. Besides Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Mukesh Agnihotri, Rajinder Rana had emerged as a strong contender for the CM’s post.
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“The Chief Minister will be from among the MLAs only. The high command feels that two by-elections will have to be held if Pratibha Singh is made the Chief Minister. One of the Lok Sabha, the other of the Legislative Assembly,” said the sources. Pratibha Singh’s son Vikramaditya Singh might be given a senior cabinet portfolio, sources said. Pratibha Singh has the support of over 25 MLAs, according to reports.
The Congress task after wresting power from the BJP in the state has become difficult. Zeroing in on a chief minister is not going to be easy. State Congress in-charge Rajeev Shukla said a resolution was passed in the meeting and Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge will elect the state leader.
Congress has appointed Bhupesh Baghel and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as its central observers and given the task of finding a consensus candidate.
Pratibha Singh’s son confirmed that his mother is in the running for the chief minister’s post in the state. “I am not in the race for the top post but my mother is one of the contenders for the post of chief minister,” her son and Congress MLA from Shimla Rural Vikramaditya Singh said.
The Congress wrested power from the BJP after winning 40 of the 68 assembly seats. The polling was held on November 12 and the results were declared on Thursday.
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