Senior BJP leader and MLA from the politically important district of Kangra, Ramesh Dhawala, who could not make it to the Cabinet, was made the pro tem Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly.
He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Acharya Dev Vrat. Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and his Cabinet colleagues including Civil Supplies Minister Kishan Kapoor, Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj and Health Minister Vipin Parmar were present at the ceremony.
Mr. Dhawala was a Cabinet Minister in the Prem Kumar Dhumal government from 1998 to 2003. He had then won as an independent candidate (BJP rebel) and was instrumental in the formation of the first BJP government.
