Garg, Pathania, Sukh Ram join Himachal Cabinet

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 30

Striking regional and caste balance, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today inducted three ministers Sukh Ram Chaudhary, Rakesh Pathania and Rajinder Garg in his Cabinet, filling the long-pending vacancies.

The oath-taking ceremony took place at the Raj Bhawan with limited number of people to ensure social distancing amidst coronavirus. Governor Bandaru Dattatreya administered the oath to the three ministers. While Chaudhary and Garg took the oath in Hindi, Pathania preferred English. Besides the Chief Minister, ministers, party MLAs and senior officials were present.

Though the induction of Chaudhary and Pathania was being considered a foregone conclusion it is the inclusion of Garg, a first-time legislator from Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district which came as a surprise to most. The fact that he has been associated with the RSS and belongs to Bilaspur, the home district of BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, seems to have tilted the scales in his favour.

Despite intense lobbying and immense pressure exerted by senior legislators like Ramesh Dhawala, Narinder Bragta and Vikram Jaryal, the Chief Minister chose to give representation to districts like Sirmaur and Bilaspur which even after two-and-a-half years of the BJP being in power had no representation in the government. However, Hamirpur the home district of former Chief Minister PK Dhumal has once again failed to get representation despite the name of Narinder Thakur, a second time MLA, doing the rounds.

ABOUT NEW ENTRANTS

Born on May 30, 1966, Garg won for the first time from Ghumarwin in Bilaspur in 2017. He has done M.Sc (Botany) and had been associated with the RSS and the ABVP. The fact that he belongs to Bilaspur, home district of BJP national president JP Nadda, seems to have tilted the scales in his favour. —Rajinder Garg (54) Ghumarwin (Bilaspur) 

Born on November 15, 1964, Pathania, is a graduate. He was elected to the Vidhan Sabha for the first time in 1998 from Nurpur and again in 2007 as an Independent after he was denied ticket. He won for the third time in 2017 but was not given a ministerial berth despite being a known Nadda loyalist. —Rakesh Pathania (55) Nurpur (Kangra)

Born on April 15, 1964, Sukh Ram Chaudhary belongs to the OBC community. He is a three-time MLA from Paonta Sahib. He holds ITI diploma in electrical. He was elected to the Assembly for the first time in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. He remained Chief Parliamentary Secretary from 2009 to 2012. —Sukh Ram Chaudhary (56), Paonta (Sirmaur) 

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