Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu sworn in as Himachal CM; Mukesh Agnihotri Dy CM

Shimla: In the presence of one of the largest crowds ever gathered in a swearing in ceremony of any chief minister in the state, Leader of Congress Legislature Party Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu took oath as the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister at the historic Ridge here.

Congress leader Mukesh Agnihotri took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.

No cabinet ministers took the oath today. The cabinet would be expanded later. The maximum number of cabinet ministers could be 12, including the chief minister.

Sukhu oath-taking ceremony

Senior leaders including party chief Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajiv Shukla and Bhupendra Hooda attended the oath-taking ceremony.

The names of Sukhu, 58, who headed the party's campaign committee, and Agnihotri, 60, who was the leader of the opposition, were announced by central observers Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda after the CLP meeting on Saturday late evening.

Later, designated Chief Minister Sukhu presented his claim to form a new government in Himachal Pradesh to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Raj Bhavan here. He was accompanied by a team of party’s central observers, in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh. A formal letter was handed over to the Governor staking claim to form a new government in the hill state.

The supporters of Pratibha Singh had lodged their protest over the name of Sukhu as the Chief Minister. However, Singh later said that she accepts the decision of the party’s high command.

Sukhu will be the first Congress leader from Lower Himachal -- comprising areas merged in Himachal in 1966 such as Nalagarh, Una, Hamirpur, Kangra and lower hills of Kullu -- to occupy the top post. He will be the second chief minister from Hamirpur district, after BJP's Prem Kumar Dhumal.

The Congress wrested power from the BJP in the hill state winning 40 of the 68 assembly seats. The polling was held on November 12 and the results were declared Thursday.