Shimla, June 09 (HS). After the results of the Lok Sabha elections and assembly by-elections, the Sukhu government of Congress in Himachal Pradesh has decided to give the status of cabinet minister to Kehar Singh Khachi, a senior leader of the state Congress and a close aide of Priyanka Gandhi.
Kehar Singh Khachi is the Vice President of Himachal Pradesh State Forest Development Corporation Limited. The state government appointed him to this post in March last year. The interesting thing is that about 14 months after his appointment, the government has given him cabinet rank. A notification has been issued by the government in this regard. According to this, Vice President of State Forest Development Corporation Limited Kehar Singh Khachi has been given the status of Cabinet Minister with immediate effect.
Kehar Singh Khachi has worked on many posts in the Congress and he is one of the close leaders of Congress National General Secretary Priyanka Vadra. During the assembly elections, Kehar Singh Khachi was a strong contender for the Congress ticket from Theog. However, he did not get the ticket.
Cabinet rank leaders dominate Shimla district
With Kehar Singh Khachi getting cabinet rank, Shimla district now has half a dozen leaders with cabinet rank. Three ministers of Sukhu government are from Shimla district. These include Vikramaditya Singh, Anirudh Singh and Rohit Thakur. Apart from this, MLA from Rohru Mohan Brakta is the Chief Parliamentary Secretary. MLA from Rampur Nand Lal has cabinet rank along with the Chairman of the Seventh Finance Commission. Chief Minister's media advisor Naresh Chauhan, who belongs to Shimla district, has also got cabinet rank.
One ministerial post vacant in Sukhu government
Meanwhile, in the coming days, there is going to be cabinet expansion in the state and other appointments in corporations and boards, for which many senior Congress leaders are lobbying. At present, one post is vacant in the state cabinet. Apart from this, the appointment of the chief whip, Food Supply Corporation and Himfed chairman is to be done. Before the Lok Sabha elections, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has given cabinet rank to Rampur MLA Nand Lal, close to Holy Lodge, by making him the chairman of the Seventh Finance Commission and Fatehpur MLA Bhawani Singh Pathania the vice-chairman of the State Planning Board.