Himachal Pradesh Election Result 2022: Who Will Be The New CM? List Of Probable Names Here

Himachal Pradesh Election Results 2022: Who Is Likely To Be The New Chief Minister Of Himachal Pradesh- Pratibha Singh, Sukhvinder Sukhu or Mukesh Agnihotri?

Shimla: As Congress eyes for a comfortable win in Himachal Pradesh by winning a total of 40 seats out of 68, the speculation around who will be the new Chief Minister has risen. So far the first shot came from the state party chief Pratibha Singh, wife of the late Virbhadra Singh who was the Congress’s tallest leader in the Himalayan state until his death last year.

Pratibha Singh is currently Lok Sabha member from Mandi, a seat vacated by Virbhadra Singh’s death. However, she is not the only contender for the post, there are other two: the current Leader of Opposition, Sukhvinder Sukhu and Mukesh Agnihotri.

FOLLOWING IS THE LIST OF PROBABLE NAMES FOR CHIEF MINISTER OF HIMACHAL PRADESH:

• Pratibha Singh
• Sukhvinder Sukku
• Mukesh Agnihotri

Sukhwinder Singh Sukku, former Congress Himachal Chief and erstwhile chairman of party’s election campaign committee, has been the Chief Ministerial candidate of INC for quite some time. Mukesh Agnihotri, journalist-turned-politician, has been a four-time winner from Haroli and now has won the same seat for the fifth time. He, too, is a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister in the hill state.

CONGRESS FEARS OPERATION LOTUS

Congress also feared BJP’s “Operation Lotus” which is a code used for BJP luring MLAs to switch loyalties to topple Opposition parties’ governments. The Congress witnessed this in Madhya Pradesh not long ago.

Congress has been taking cautious steps against poaching attempts by BJP. Party observer Rajeev Shukla told reporters that MLAs may be moved to Chandigarh, 90 km away, “for convenience”, and said the BJP’s poaching attempts will not succeed if the Congress crosses 40, five above the majority mark in the 68-member assembly.

On who will be chief minister, Shukla took the familiar Congress line, “The high command will decide after discussion with MLAs.”

As per media reports, it was thought earlier that MLAs may be taken to Rajasthan or Chhattisgarh, the only two states where the Congress has chief ministers, after a pitstop in Chandigarh, if the margin remained slender. But the party later denied any such plan. Also with a safe win, party may drop the plan.

Shukla said a meeting of MLAs may be called in Chandigarh “because people from all regions can easily reach there”. Two other observers — Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Haryana leader Bhupinder Hooda — are reaching Chandigarh too.

Many winning candidates already gathered at Pratibha Singh’s home in Shimla, Holy Lodge, the centre of Congress activities since the time of her late husband Virbhadra Singh. Congress in-charge Tajinder Singh Bittu said earlier today, “We are taking our leaders to Chandigarh and closing our doors and windows as the BJP will try to poach, as they have done many times in the past.”