Jai Ram Thakur to swear-in as Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister on December 27

PM Modi, Amit Shah likely to attend the ceremony

SHIMLA: Jai Ram Thakur is all set to swear-in as the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, December 27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are likely to attend the ceremony. 

A five-term MLA, Thakur won from Seraj constituency, defeating Congress candidate Chet Ram. 

Thakur has been a cabinet minister with the former BJP government of the hill state. He was Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. He was elected to Himachal Pradesh Assembly from Mandi and had won his first election in the year of 1998. 

The BJP won 44 of the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh Assembly, ousting Congress from the hill state.

The 52-year-old Thakur leader edged past party stalwarts in the race to the top office and will be the first leader from the politically-significant Mandi region to helm the hill state.

Seen largely as a low-profile man, Thakur is from a farming family of Mandi. He did his post-graduation from Panjab University in Chandigarh and decided to join politics when he was in his 20s.