Mukesh Agnihotri Age, Caste, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Mukesh Agnihotri

• Mukesh Agnihotri is an Indian politician and former journalist, who is a member of the Indian National Congress. He got appointed as the first Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on 11 December 2022.

• He was raised by his parents in a small village in Una, Himachal Pradesh.

• Agnihotri’s father, Pandit Omkar Chand Sharma, served as the Vice Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Agro Packaging Department during the Virbhadra Singh government in Himachal in 1993. In 1998, Omkar Sharma contested the legislative assembly elections on a Congress ticket but lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Pandit Jaikishan Sharma. Omkar once served as the District Public Relations Officer (DPRO) of Himachal Pradesh.

• After completing his post-graduation diploma, Mukesh began working as a news correspondent in Shimla with the Hindi newspaper Veer Pratap. He worked there for a while and then joined Janasatta (Indian Express Group) as a Senior Correspondent. Having worked there for around 10 years, Mukesh shifted to Delhi and was promoted to the position of Bureau Head. He worked there for around 3 years and then resigned from his job.

• As a journalist, Mukesh was a part of various press clubs and committees like the Press Accreditation Committee (H.P. Govt.), the State Press Advisory Committee, the Press Gallery Committee State Legislative Assembly, and the Govt. Pahari Language Committee. Meanwhile, he also served as the General Secretary of the Press Club (Shimla) and PCC and Chairman of Media Cell PCC.

• While working as a journalist in Delhi, Agnihotri drew closeness with the former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Virbhadra Singh which led him to join the Indian National Congress. After noticing Agnihotri’s involvement and understanding of political matters, Virbhadra Singh suggested him to contest the Legislative Assembly elections.

• Mukesh Agnihotri has won the Legislative Assembly elections from Haroli Constituency five consecutive times i.e., in 2003, 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2022.

• During his first term as the MLA from Santokhgarh Constituency, Mukesh served as the Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) and Chairman of the Housing Board in the Virbhadra Singh-led government. From 2007 to 2012, Mukesh was a member of the Subordinate Legislation, General Development, Public Accounts, and Human Development Committees.

• In 2008, after the delimitation, Santokhgarh Constituency was converted into the Haroli Assembly Seat.

• During his third term as an MLA, Mukesh was inducted into the Cabinet as Industry Minister. He was also given the additional charge of Labor & Employment, Parliamentary Affairs, and Information & Public Relations. While handling the additional charge of public relations, Mukesh assured the public of speedy redressal. He also worked hard to improve the living standards of the poor and provide good education facilities to underprivileged children.
  

  Mukesh Agnihotri at the inauguration of the third government college in Haroli

• In 2017, although Mukesh won the Legislative Assembly elections by a huge margin, his party lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party, whose government was formed in Himachal Pradesh.

• In 2018, Agnihotri was voted as the Leader of the Opposition and he looked after the encroachments on the rights of minorities and opened a front against the Jairam government.

• When Agnihotri became the Leader of the Opposition, there was no house left with the Himachal Pradesh government to assign to Agnihotri as all the government houses were either allotted to government officials or to BJP ministries. The BJP government later offered him a flat. However, Mukesh refused to take up the flat and asked for a house to be allotted to him. The comments of BJP leaders on this matter made it a subject of controversy.

• In the same year, he was nominated as a member of the Business Advisory Committee in Himachal Pradesh.

• Agnihotri was a star campaigner during the 2022 Legislative Assembly elections. He conducted several rallies for Congress candidates all across Himachal Pradesh.
  

  Mukesh Agnihotri during a rally in the Una district of Himachal Pradesh

• On 8 December 2022, Agnihotri got elected to the fourteenth Legislative Assembly from the Haroli Constituency and was subsequently appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. He was administered the oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh by R V Arlekar, the governor of Himachal Pradesh on 11 December 2022. The oath-taking ceremony took place at the historic Ridge in Shimla in the presence of senior Congress leaders including the party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, chairperson of the Indian Youth Congress Rahul Gandhi, and the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee in charge of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi.
  

  Mukesh Agnihotri taking oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh at the historic Ridge in Shimla

• Following his oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Mukesh Agnihotri addressed the media and said that his party would remain firm on its promises. He said,
  

  Our target will be to implement some promises within 10 days or in the first cabinet. If the cabinet is not formed, then only the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister’s cabinet can hold the first cabinet meeting. In which we will implement it. The Old Pension Scheme will be restored. Earlier people said Congress will not come to power in any state, but today we have stopped BJP’s ‘rath’.”

• He has also served as the general secretary and president of Congress’s Himachal unit’s media cell.

• Mukesh Agnihotri is a recipient of the Best Coverage Award for reporting Assembly proceedings during the year 1994-1995.

• In 2022, Mukesh was a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. However, Congress leaders chose Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for the post, appointing Agnihotri as the Deputy Chief Minister.

• Mukesh shared a great bond with the former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Virbhadra Singh and his family.
  

  Mukesh Agnihotri with Virbhadra Singh

• Mukesh loves singing and playing the harmonica in his leisure time.

• Mukesh is a religious person and he keeps visiting temples and other religious places with his family.
  

  Mukesh Agnihotri with his wife and daughter at Jwala Ji temple