After facing humiliating defeat in the recently concluded parliamentary election, where ruling Congress party was badly decimated in the state, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh looking for some damage control and expanded his team by appointing one chairman and three vice-chairmen of boards and corporations.
Harshvardhan Chauhan, ex legislature of Shilai assembly segment of Sirmour district, has been made chairman of the state-level Committee on Employment Generation and Resource Mobilisation with the rank of a Cabinet minister. Senior party leader Harsh Vardhan Chauhan had succeeded getting lead for Congress candidate in Lok Sabha election and his coronation seems reward for it. Earlier, four times legislature Harshvardhan Chauhan had lost assembly election by slender margin to BJP candidate Baldev Singh Tomar in 2012.
Rajender Rana, who had unsuccessfully contested parliamentary election from Hamirpur Lok Sabha Segment against Anurag Thakur, was made vice-chairman of the state-level Disaster Management Committee.
Major Vijay Singh Mankotia, once bête noire of Virbhadra Singh, has also found Chief Minister’s favour as he was appointed vice-chairman of the State Tourism Development Council and Ramesh Chauhan has been made vice-chairman of the state Khadi and Village Board.
Sukhu loyalist Sunil Sharma also gets CM’s favour as he has been appointed member of the HP Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission.
