Himachal Pradesh got its first ever Deputy Chief Minister on Sunday, when Mukesh Agnihotri was inducted in the cabinet.
Apparently, the move was taken by Congress to accommodate Agnihotri – the leader of the opposition in the outgoing assembly – who was one of the stronger candidates for the Chief Minister’s post.
Since the party came to power in the state earlier in the week, several factions have asserted their claims to the top post.
The party has been quick on its heels to assuage bruised egos and prevent factionalism to threaten the newly-formed government.
However, such dissensions in the party are not new.
In 1967, dissidents threatened to topple the government headed by then Chief Minister Dr YS Parmar and support a no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition.
Hectic activity was witnessed in the Vidhan Sabha and three senior Congress MLAs Thakur Karam Singh, Pt Padam Dev, and Vidya Dhar were closeted with Chief Minister to prevent them from throwing their lot with the opposition. When the three leaders returned to the house they opposed the no-confidence motion.
As per the bargain, Karam Singh and Pt Padam Dev had then been inducted as cabinet ministers and Vidya Dhar as deputy minister but still no deputy chief minister was appointed.
Again in 1993, when the Congress got 56 out of 68 seats, the party was sharply divided into Virbhadra Singh and Sukh Ram groups, with finally Virbhadra Singh chosen as leader and Anil Sharma, son of Sukh Ram, inducted into cabinet. But again no deputy chief minister was appointed.
In the present government, which would be expanded in the near future, both, the CM and Deputy CM, are from Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency, represented by BJP leader Anurag Thakur, the Union minister for Information and Broadcasting and Sports and Youth Services.
The party has also taken caste factor into consideration going with Sukhu, a Rajput, and Agnihotri, who is a Brahmin.