The Union Council of Ministers was expanded on Thursday with the induction of 59 ministers
Sukhu, the 58-year-old MLA from Nadaun in Hamirpur district, was elected the the CLP leader and will take oath as chief minister Sunday, the party said.
Mukesh Agnihotri, the leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly, was administered the oath as the deputy chief minister.
The action comes two days after Congress president Sonia Gandhi held a key meeting and broke the ice by starting dialogue with some of the prominent 'letter-writers', who had earlier written to her demanding an overhaul of the party and an effective leadership.
A two-decade-old graft case has proved to the nemesis of veteran Congress leader Virbhadra Singh who resigned as Union Minister on Tuesday, a day after charges were framed against him by a Himachal Pradesh court.
He joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Piyush Goyal and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for providing a "strong government".
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday asked party leaders from Himachal Pradesh to put up a united front and help the party regain power in the state.
The agency had summoned Singh earlier also, but then he had excused himself stating his official commitments.
Congress leader Virbhadra Singh recently resigned as the Union minister for micro, small and medium enterprises following allegations of corruption. He tells Kavita Chowdhury how he intends to fight both his detractors and his opponents in the upcoming Himachal Pradesh assembly polls
Amidst uncertainty hanging over the India-Pakistan World Twenty20 cricket match scheduled in Dharamsala, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said central paramilitary forces will be provided to ensure security for the March 19 event. "If the (Himachal Pradesh) Chief Minister asks for security forces, we will provide," he told reporters in New Delhi. A cloud hangs over the marquee match between India and Pakistan in Dharamsala on March 19 with Himachal Pradesh's ex-servicemen protesting against the game in the wake of January 2 Pathankot terror attacks. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday had written a letter to the Union Home Minister stating that his government cannot provide security for the match. The Chief Minister had also said war veterans of the state did not want the Indo-Pak match to be held in Dharamsala.
The comments come amid strong political protests against land acquisition by global steel majors Posco and ArcelorMittal, whose much-touted multi billion dollar projects are still awaiting ground-breaking.
Saturday's voting will mark the end to the marathon polling process that began on April 19 month and has already covered 486 Lok Sabha seats in 28 states and Union territories.
The BJP in Himachal has its own problems. But it is not a party that sits around twiddling its thumbs.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday questioned Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in connection with its probe into allegations of disproportionate assets amassed by him during his tenure as Union minister.
The judge posted the matter for argument to May 29 after the CBI sought time to file a reply to the bail pleas by Singh.
Deshmukh, who is Science and Technology Minister, was given additional charge of the Ministry immediately after Virbhadra Singh resigned in the wake of a Himachal Pradesh court framing corruption charges against him in a 23-year-old case in June, this year.
Shah made the announcement at a public meeting, putting to rest speculation over the party's choice for the top post.
Enforcement Directorate has issued summons to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in connection with its probe against him and his associates for alleged money laundering.
The Congress won 40 seats in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly while the BJP got 25 seats.
'Nitish Kumar was not happy about promoting R C P Singh as Union minister.'
In a letter to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, state Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathore said Gandhi had laid the foundation stone on June 28, 2010 in the presence of the then CM Prem Kumar Dhumal and Union minister Virbhadra Singh.
The Himachal Congress on Wednesday said party chief Sonia Gandhi will only decide the name of the chief ministerial candidate.
Senior party leaders slug it out for tickets in Chandigarh, Kangra
"I have been given BJP ticket from Mandi and the party has informed me about this," he said.
'Putra-moh Congress ko nasht kar raha hai (Sonia Gandhi's love for Rahul Gandhi is destroying the Congress).'
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh asserted that the much awaited World T20 match between India and Pakistan, slated to be played on March 19, should not be held in Dharamshala.
Some of our leaders were busybusy over the weekend.
The Enforcement Directorate, probing money laundering charges against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his family members, on Tuesday recorded the statement of his wife Pratibha Singh
The monsoon session of Parliament beginning Tuesday is set to be stormy as Congress and several other Opposition parties appeared to be closing ranks to corner the government on a range of issues including Vyapam scam and Lalit Modi controversy.
Congress termed the raids as highly vindictive and said it is part of "PM Narendra Modi's hate agenda and political vendetta against the Congress and its leaders".
Amarinder, 75, was sworn in as the state's 26th chief minister along with nine ministers, including Navjot Singh Sidhu.
The Congress released its second list of 71 candidates on Tuesday night. It is an interesting list, considering the names which have been taken on and the ones which were dropped. Renu Mittal reports
A reshuffle-cum-expansion of Union Council of Ministers appears to be on the cards after the July 19 Presidential elections.
Several newly elected MLAs including Navjot Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Singh Badal, Brahm Mohindra, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Rana Gurjit Singh, Pargat Singh, Razia Sultana, O P Soni are in the race for becoming ministers, party sources said.
Former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal was re-nominated by Congress from Chandigarh on Thursday brushing aside the "taint" argument as it released the second list of 71 candidates who include film star Nagma in Meerut and Youth Congress chief Rajeevv Satav from Hingoli.
The Congress on Monday took a swipe at the National Democratic Alliance government over its proposed move to give a quiet burial to the United Progressive Alliance dispensation's controversial move to order a probe into the Snoopgate affair, saying it was "quite natural" after the change of guard at the Centre.
No matter how smug they sound on the surface about the potential of the dissenters to disturb the proverbial applecart, the Congress and the BJP know that their electoral calculations are precariously hinged in a seemingly tight contest.
What some of our leaders were up to on Monday, December 12.
Shatrughan Sinha won't attend, citing 'important personal engagements.' Will L K Advani be present? M I Khan reports on a swearing-in ceremony the likes of which Patna may not have seen before.
He has also convened the first meeting of the extended CWC on July 22 to chalk out the party's future strategy.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances