Shimla, May 22 (IANS) Congress leaders in Himachal Pradesh have welcomed the induction of Anand Sharma, who earlier was a minister of state for external affairs and also held independent charge of the information and broadcasting ministry, into the union cabinet.
Sharma, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, belongs to Himachal Pradesh.
'It (Sharma's induction into the cabinet) is great step... we are thankful to Congress president Sonia Gandhi for giving due representation to the tiny hill state,' Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Vidya Stokes told IANS on phone. She was in New Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the cabinet ministers.
'This time too, this young, energetic leader will also take up issues related to the state at the national level,' she added.
State Congress committee president Kaul Singh Thakur said: 'Of course, loyalty, performance and experience were the criteria while finalising the names for the cabinet berth. We are happy with the decision (of the party).'
Anand Sharma, who was born in Shimla Jan 5, 1953, was first elected to Parliament for the first time in 1984 at the age of 31.
In the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Sharma was Minister of State for External Affairs and also held independent charge of the information and broadcasting ministry after Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi was hospitalised following a stroke.
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