Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh who took oath earlier today, disagrees that the state unity of the Congress has been torn apart by factions. “Lobbying happens, but there is no faction in Congress in Himachal… It was a BJP story,” he told DailyExpertNews in an exclusive interview. Still, he made it clear that he would have nothing to do with government formation. It would be a “challenge for Rajiv Shukla (Congress Leader for Himachal Pradesh), he will make all the decisions,” he said.
Mr. Sukhu, who came from a humble background but rose through the ranks in the Congress, was chosen as Chief Minister over the claims of Pratibha Singh and Mukesh Agnihotri – the wife and protege of Himachal’s six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, a former Royal. It is expected that the party will have to do a balancing act by offering Pratibha Singh and her son Vikramaditya Singh key seats in the government or party. Mukesh Agnihotri was sworn in as deputy prime minister today.
Sources said Mr Sukhu, 58, had the support of more than half of the Congress MLAs in the state.
But his election was also expected to send a signal – that dynastic politics and inherited privilege are on their way to Congress, befitting the election of Mallikarjun Kharge to the party’s top post.
His selection was also a rejection of the BJP, who joked at the Congress. Ahead of the election, Union Minister Amit Shah had said Mr Sukhu will not get the post because he is not “someone’s son or daughter”.
Mr. Sukhu, whose father was a bus driver, had once sold milk and started his political journey as a student leader. Over time, he rose to be part of Team Rahul Gandhi.
“I have come from a very humble background, it is a moment of pride that a man like me has been appointed Chief Minister,” he told DailyExpertNews today. “It is a moment of happiness that a member of Congress was given this opportunity. I thank Congress and the Gandhi family for this,” he added.
Asked about the legacy of Virbhadra Singh, the party’s most famous face in the state, Mr Sukhu, who counted the six-time prime minister among his political rivals, said: “We will carry on the legacy of Congress. It’s not just Virbhadra Singh’s legacy, but also the legacy of other leaders like Yashwant Singh and Ramlal Thakur that we should continue. The party is bigger than anything.”