The deputy chief minister of Himachal Pradesh is the seniormost cabinet member of the state government who serves as the de facto second head of the state. He is the second highest ranking executive authority of the state's council of ministers. The first and current deputy chief minister of Himachal Pradesh is Mukesh Agnihotri, serving in office since 11 December 2022. The position of deputy chief minister is not explicitly defined or mentioned in the Constitution of India. However, the Supreme Court of India has stated that the appointment of deputy chief ministers is not unconstitutional. The court has clarified that a deputy chief minister, for all practical purposes, remains a minister in the council of ministers headed by the chief minister and does not draw a higher salary or perks compared to other ministers.During the absence of the chief minister, the deputy-chief minister may chair cabinet meetings and lead the assembly majority. Various deputy chief ministers have also taken the oath of secrecy in line with the one that chief minister takes. This oath has also sparked controversies.
List # Portrait Name ConstituencyTerm of officeChief MinisterParty 1 Mukesh Agnihotri Haroli 11 December 2022 Incumbent Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Indian National Congress Statistics List of deputy chief ministers by length of term No.NamePartyLength of termLongest continuous termTotal years of deputy chief ministership1Mukesh AgnihotriINC
References