Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu to be Himachal Pradesh CM, Mukesh Agnihotri his deputy

Besides Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu's name, who headed the Congress campaign committee during the assembly election, Mandi MP and state party president Pratibha Singh and Leader of Opposition in the outgoing assembly Mukesh Agnihotri were the frontrunners for the chief minister post.

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu will be Himachal Pradesh's new chief minister, while Mukesh Agnihotri has been appointed as deputy chief minister, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said after Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Shimla on Saturday. The Congress high command approved the names.

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu with other Congress leaders.(ANI)

The oath-taking ceremony will be held on Sunday at 11am, said Baghel.

The decision came a day after the newly elected Congress MLAs passed a resolution authorising the Congress high command to select the next leader of the legislature party.

Earlier, there were rumours that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla and two observers Baghel and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda may fly to New Delhi and announce the CM face there.

Besides Sukhu, who headed the Congress campaign committee during the assembly election, Mandi MP and state party president Pratibha Singh and Leader of Opposition in the outgoing assembly Mukesh Agnihotri were the frontrunners for the chief minister post.

However, Pratibha Singh, the widow of former CM Virbhadra Singh, is now out of the race. Though 18 out of 40 Congress legislators supported her but were of the view that the CM should be among the MLAs.

“We accept the decision taken by the Congress high command,” Himachal Pratibha Singh told the media after the names were announced.

"We will run a very good government. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge will attend the oath ceremony tomorrow," Hooda said.

On Friday night, Pratibha Singh's supporters and the Sukhu camp had held a show of strength in front of the party observers at Rajeev Bhawan, the Congress headquarters.

Meanwhile, speaking with ANI, Sukhu said he was never in any race.

“I was never in any race for any post and would not be in future. I am a Congress party worker. I never had longing for any post,” he said.

He said when he was a student when the Congress made him state president of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and later, the chief of party State Youth Congress.

“Party has given me so much and to follow the party’s order is my duty,” he said.