Who is Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu whom the Congress entrusted with the CM office in Himachal

Senior Congress leader and four-time MLA Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu is a relentless fighter who joined the Congress party's students wing NSUI early and rose through the ranks over the years.

He was sworn in as the 15th chief minister of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday in a ceremony attended by senior party leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

With the Congress bagging its first victory in the hill state without the charismatic presence of Virbhadra Singh, Sukhu's swearing-in as chief minister makes it clear that the party is ready to move on.

The Nadaun MLA, who is considered close to Rahul Gandhi and was the Congress campaign committee head, was unanimously elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party on Saturday.

The party high command, after deliberations with newly elected MLAs, picked Sukhu despite a strong claim to the post mounted by Pratibha Singh, the party's state unit chief and wife of Virbhadra Singh.

Sukhu remained the party's state unit president for a record six years from 2013 to 2019. During his tenure, he strengthened the party organisation and his rapport with workers and legislators made him a strong contender for the chief minister's post, party insiders say.

Son of a road transport corporation driver, Sukhu, 58, had a modest beginning and used to run a milk counter at Chhota Shimla in his early days.

That he enjoys the confidence of the party high command was clear when he was appointed chairman of the Congress election campaign committee and a large number of his supporters got party tickets.

The Congress wrested power from the BJP in the hill state winning 40 of the 68 assembly seats. The polling was held on November 12 and the results were declared on December 8. This was the first state election since the demise of Virbhadra Singh in July 2021.

He did his MA and LLB from Himachal Pradesh University.

Rising from the grassroots, he was elected twice as councillor of Shimla Municipal Corporation.

He won the assembly election for the first time in 2003 from Nadaun, retained the seat in 2007 but was defeated in 2012 and won again in 2017 and 2022.

Sukhu is the first Congress leader from Lower Himachal— comprising areas merged in Himachal in 1966 such as Nalagarh, Una, Hamirpur, Kangra and lower hills of Kullu—to occupy the top post. He is the second chief minister from Hamirpur district, after BJP's Prem Kumar Dhumal.