Anurag Thakur fifth from Himachal Pradesh to become Union cabinet minister

SHIMLA: In the Union cabinet expansion on Wednesday, minister of state for finance and corporate affairs, Anurag Singh Thakur took oath as the cabinet minister. Before him,

Shanta Kumar

, Virbhadra Singh, Anand Sharma and JP Nadda he is the fifth leader from state to hold cabinet rank. Veteran Congress leader Sukh Ram had held the portfolio of Union minister of state for telecommunication (independent charge).


Senior Congress leader Chandresh Kumari from Kangra district was also sworn in as cabinet minister during UPA regime on October 28, 2012 but she had won for the second term from Jodhpur parliamentary constituency then.

Promotion of Anurag Thakur

as cabinet minister has left Dhumal supporters elated in the state. They feel that hard work of Anurag Thakur especially during Covid-19 pandemic has ensured his promotion in the expansion.

Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur was the first to congratulate Anurag Thakur on his elevation as cabinet minister. While interacting with media persons in Shimla on Wednesday, Jai Ram Thakur said that it is proud moment for small state like

Himachal Pradesh

as under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Himachal Pradesh has got prominence in organisation and union government.

"Cabinet rank to Anurag Thakur is an honour to our state and I congratulate Bhai Anurag Thakur for this on behalf of Himachal Pradesh,” he added.

Anurag Thakur is the 4th term Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency of Himachal Pradesh. Within Parliament he has served as Chairman of the

Parliamentary Standing Committee

on IT and Member of

Public Accounts Committee

. During the 16th Lok Sabha, he was appointed as the Chief Whip, Lok Sabha, becoming the youngest to assume the post.

In the year 2016, he was commissioned as a regular officer in the

Territorial Army

as a Lieutenant of the 124 Sikh Regiment, thereby becoming the first serving BJP Member of Parliament to join as a regular officer.

He is the former national president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and has been the only national president to be appointed for three consecutive terms in the BJP. He is also the first BJYM national president to have worked under three different BJP presidents - Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari.

Anurag Thakur has also served as the president at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), president Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) and continues to serve as president Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association, president Hockey Himachal, president Himachal Pradesh Table Tennis Association and Associate Vice President Hockey India.

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