Four-time MLA Agnihotri is Himachal CLP leader
All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi on Friday picked former industries minister Mukesh Agnihotri as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in Himachal Pradesh.
“Rahul Gandhi has approved Agnihotri’s name for the post,” AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said in a statement.
On Thursday, Congress general secretary and in-charge of party affairs in Himachal Sushil Kumar Shinde, along with former Maharashtra minister Bala Sahib Thorat, arrived in the state capital Shimla to finalise the name of the CLP leader. But after the state Congress MLAs failed to reach a consensus, the ball was thrown in Rahul’s court.
Four-time MLA from Una’s Haroli Agnihotri is considered close to former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.
Agnihotri started his career as a journalist and was first elected to the state assembly in 2003. He got re-elected in 2007, 2012 and 2017. He also remained a chief parliamentary secretary and chairman of the HP Housing Board from March 2003 to August 18, 2005. He was a member of subordinate legislation, general development, public accounts and human development committees between 2008 and 2012.
In 2012, Agnihotri was inducted into cabinet as industries minister with additional charge of labour and employment, parliamentary affairs, information and public relations departments.
Earlier, former chief minister Virbhadra Singh was being projected as the CLP leader.
State party chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, AICC secretary Asha Kumari, Naina Devi legislator Ram lal Thakur, Shilai MLA Harshvardhan Chauhan were also in the race for the post.
The Congress lost the assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh fought under leadership of Virbhadra Singh.
Congress has 21 MLAs in the 68-member state assembly.