Himachal: Out of nine, six are first-time ministers

Tribune News Service

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, January 8

In the nine-member Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s Cabinet, there are six first-time ministers — the Chief Minister himself. Apart from Sukhu, Harshwardhan Chauhan, Rohit Thakur, Anirudh Singh, Jagat Singh Negi and Vikramaditya Singh are the first time ministers. “It’s perhaps the first time in the Congress government that so many fresh faces have been made the ministers,” said Naresh Chauhan, a close aide of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The first-timers

• Apart from Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Harshwardhan Chauhan, Rohit Thakur, Anirudh Singh, Jagat Singh Negi and Vikramaditya Singh are the first time ministers.

Chauhan feels the Congress has entered a new era with these new faces and leadership. “The previous era was dominated by Virbhadra Singh. Now new faces have emerged, who will work with renewed energy to take the state and party ahead,” he said.

While the first-time ministers come in with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, the flip side is their lack of experience. “It’s not that there’s lack of experience in the Cabinet. In Mukesh Agniohtri, Chander Kumar and Dhani Ram Shandil, we have individuals who have been ministers in the past. Also, our first-time ministers have been MLAs multiple times. So, we don’t see any problem on this count,” he said.

Besides, there will be no woman in the Cabinet this time. “Just one women candidate has won this time, and that too from the BJP. So, yes, the Cabinet is going to be without a woman after a long time,” he said.

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