CHANDIGARH/SHIMLA: Ending the 48-hour mystery after the party staged a comprehensive comeback in the Himachal Pradesh polls, Congress on Saturday finally announced Virbhadra Singh, the win's prime architect, as the new chief minister of the state.
"After a meeting with the Congress legislators who reposed the faith in Virbhadra ji and a confirmation by the party chief Sonia Gandhi ji, we announce that he has been unanimously chosen as the Himachal chief minister" the party spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi told TOI.
The announcement for the 78-year-old five-time chief minister came, in a late night development, after the meeting between three senior Congress leaders - Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, Jnadardhan Dwivedi and AICC party-in-charge for Himachal Chaudhary Birender Singh ended at 10:15pm at the Legislative Assembly in Shimla.
The three leaders had flown to Shima in the morning on Saturday.
A gritty, age-defying 78-year-old five times chief minister Virbhadra Singh -- who just 45 days ago was nearly-isolated by his hostile party colleagues and beset ith allegations of graft-- had pulled out all stops and steered Congress to a thumping victory in Himachal Pradesh polls on Thursday.
"I am grateful to Sonia ji for giving this opportunity to lead Himachal Pradesh. All this has been done in a purely democratic manner" a euphoric Virbhadra told TOI.
Sources in the Congress also told TOI that Singh's swearing-in ceremony, which, expected to take place on Sunday due to astrological reasons had been deferred
Virbhadra, while confirming this said that he would first meet Sonia in Delhi to discuss about the list of ministers to be included in the cabinet and then proceed with the oath-taking ceremony
Earlier in the day, the newly elected Congress legislators had met Virbhadra Singh to pass a one-line resolution, authorising Sonia Gandhi to declare the chief minister.
The legislators included Kaul singh Thakur and Vidya Stokes, who were Virbhadra's main rivals and top contenders for the chief ministerial post.
Both Thakur and Stokes had been separately meeting the senior Congress leaders in Delhi to pitch themselves as the candidates.
But, within hours of declaration of the poll results, a triumphant Virbhadra had declared truce with both Thakur and Stokes
On Saturday, however, there were clashes reported between Virbhadra and Thakur-led factions.
Virbhadra Singh to be next Himachal CM: Congress
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Virbhadra Singh to be next Himachal CM: Congress
