Shimla:

Today, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu actively participated in the oath-taking ceremony of six newly elected MLAs at the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in Shimla. Speaker of the H.P. Vidhan Sabha, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, administered the oath to the elected representatives, namely Rakesh Kalia, Vivek Sharma, Captain (Retd.) Ranjeet Rana, Anuradha Rana, Sudhir Sharma, and Inderdutt Lakhanpal.

Four out of the six MLAs sworn in belong to the Congress Party, effectively increasing the party’s representation in the Vidhan Sabha from 34 to 38 legislators. Chief Minister Sukhu extended his congratulations to the newly elected MLAs during the ceremony.

In attendance were Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Deputy Speaker Vinay Kumar, Cabinet Ministers, and other MLAs.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed his confidence in the Congress Party’s strengthened position, highlighting the failure of the BJP’s claim to form the government in the state. He emphasized the electorate’s rejection of political opportunism, citing the defeat of four turncoat MLAs in the bye-elections.

In a media interaction following the ceremony, Chief Minister Sukhu reiterated the government’s commitment to advancing Himachal Pradesh towards self-reliance. He assured that the state government would continue to implement initiatives aimed at achieving this goal.

Addressing queries regarding the upcoming three Assembly bye-elections in the state, the Chief Minister affirmed the Congress Party’s readiness, indicating that candidate selections would be finalized shortly.