Party's high command to decide on Himachal CM, say Congress MLAs

Newly elected Himachal Congress MLAs have passed resolution authorising party president to pick next chief minister, said Congress Himachal Pradesh in-charge Rajeev Shukla on Friday.

All 40 MLAs took part in the CLP meeting today and all have unanimously passed the proposal to leave the decision to select the CM of the state on party high command, said Shukla at Shimla.

No one name was suggested by any MLA, and all MLAs unanimously passed a resolution to leave the decision of choosing the CM to the party's high command. We will submit our report to the party high command on Saturday, added Shukla.

He said media reports of there being a division inside the party are absolutely wrong. Congress party stands united, said Shukla. 

Within a day of Congress securing a majority in Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, tensions started boiling over the Chief Ministerial candidate, as supporters of Congress Himachal chief Pratibha Singh gathered and sloganeered in her support. The supporters of Pratibha Singh gathered outside the Congress Shimla headquarters in huge numbers and demanded her appointment as the Chief Minister of the state.

On Thursday, Congress came out victorious in the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh by winning 40 seats, while the BJP could manage only 25 seats.

However, finalising its chief ministerial candidate for Himachal Pradesh appears to be a sticky task for Congress with various aspirants in the fray including Pratibha Singh, widow of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, former state party chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri.