Himachal Pradesh Election Results: Who will be Congress’ Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister? List of 3 Congress leaders for Himachal CM race

Himachal Pradesh Election Results: List of 3 Congress leaders for Himachal CM race - The Congress, which wrested power from the BJP in Himachal Pradesh, convened a meeting of all its newly-elected MLAs on Friday where a resolution is likely to be passed authorising the party president to pick the next chief minister.

Two party observers -- Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and senior leader from Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda -- along with AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla arrived in the state capital. Deciding on the chief ministerial face who can bind the party going forward is the immediate challenge for the Congress.

Himachal Pradesh Election Results

The Congress on December 8 won 40 seats in the 68-member Assembly in the hill state which maintained its tradition of not voting any incumbent government to power since 1985.

Congress CM hopefuls in Himachal Pradesh

Pratibha Singh

State party president Pratibha Singh is considered a key frontrunner for the chief minister's post. She had lost her first parliamentary election from Mandi in 1998 but won the seat in 2004 and the 2013 byelection, defeating BJP’s Jai Ram Thakur. 

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu

He was the campaign committee chairman in this election. Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu was also the state Congress president in 2013.

Mukesh Agnihotri

Mukesh Agnihotri claims that he put forth the party's position strongly in the state assembly as CLP leader and highlighted BJP's "misgovernance" during the last five years. Agnihotri is a Brahmin leader.

Kuldeep Singh Rathore

Former PCC chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore, who won from Theog in a multi-cornered contest, is also a CM hopeful and is claiming that he brought the faction-ridden party together in the last few years. Rathore was replaced a few months ago with Pratibha Singh as the head of the Himachal unit.

Asha Kumari

Six-time MLA Asha Kumari is also hopeful for CM post.

Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh, son of late chief minister Virbhadra Singh, told reporters here that "collective will of MLAs will be kept and then observers will convey the same to the high command". Replying to a question, Singh said, "Whatever high command decides will be acceptable to us all".

"Post is not important for us. What is important is the promises we made to people we have to fulfil them and we are committed to that," he said.