Dhumal takes oath as Himachal Pradesh CM

Prem Kumar Dhumal, who led BJP to a spectacular victory in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls, was today sworn in as Chief Minister of the state for the second time.

Governor V S Kokje administered the oath of office and secrecy to 63-year-old veteran BJP leader at a public ceremony at the historic Ridge Maidan here.

Dhumal, an English professor-turned-politician, was unanimously elected leader of the Himachal BJP Legislature Party here yesterday.

A three-time MLA who headed the BJP government in Himachal for the first time from 1998 to 2003, Dhumal is the 16th Chief Minister of the state since it was formed in 1971.

BJP stalwart L K Advani, party Vice-Presidents Shanta Shanta and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Chief Ministers of Punjab, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan - P S Badal, B C Khanduri and Vasundhra Raje respectively - attended the swearing-in function.

Neither outgoing Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh nor any other Congress leader was present on the occasion.