In a significant political development, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that Congress MLA Sunder Singh Thakur from Kullu will soon be inducted into the state cabinet.
The announcement was made on Tuesday during the Budget Session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister made the statement in the House during a heated exchange between Sunder Singh Thakur and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur over the RDG issue under Rule 102.
Heated Debate in the Assembly
During the discussion, both MLAs engaged in a sharp debate, leading to a tense atmosphere in the House. Chief Minister Sukhu intervened to calm the situation and announced that Sunder Singh Thakur would soon be appointed as a Cabinet Minister. He also extended an invitation to the Leader of Opposition.
Following the announcement, normalcy returned to the House, and proceedings resumed smoothly. Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania directed that personal remarks and unparliamentary language used during the debate be expunged from the records.
Cabinet Vacancy to Be Filled
The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet has a sanctioned strength of 12 ministers, including the Chief Minister. Currently, one position remains vacant. Despite reports over the past three years suggesting a possible cabinet expansion, the post had remained unfilled until now.
At present, the Cabinet includes three ministers from Shimla district, two from Kangra, and one each from Bilaspur, Sirmaur, Solan, Una, and Kinnaur. With this announcement, the long-pending cabinet expansion is finally set to materialize.
Political observers see the move as a strategic step by the government amid ongoing Assembly proceedings and internal political discussions.
