5 Facts On Sukhvinder Sukhu, Congress’s Choice For Himachal Chief Minister

Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today took oath as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh in the presence of the party’s high command.Mr Sukhu was born into a humble rural family. His father was a bus driver while he ran a milk counter at Chhota Shimla in his early days.A law graduate, Mr Sukhu’s political journey began at Himachal Pradesh University where he rose through the ranks of the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and later became the president of the student body.Mr Sukhu served as the Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress chief for a decade and later served as the Himachal Pradesh Congress chief for a record six years from 2013 to 2019. In 2003, he won his first assembly election from Nadaun, retained his seat in 2007, lost in 2012 before winning it again in 2017 and 2022.A four-time MLA, Mr Sukhu was twice elected as the chief of the Shimla Municipal Corporation. Mr Sukhu, during his 40-year political career, often found himself at loggerheads with six-time Chief Minister, the late Virbhadra Singh.