The much anticipated Punjab cabinet expansion took place on Sunday at the Governor House in Chandigarh. After holding marathon meetings with the Congress high command, the list of ministers for the new cabinet, under the leadership of Chief Minister Charanjeet Singh Channi was finalised.
Channi became the 16th Chief Minister of the state following Captain Amarinder Singh's resignation from the top post in the state. The three-time MLA from Rupnagar's Chamkaur Sahib is the state's first Dalit Chief Minister.
Punjab Cabinet expansion: Highlights
- Those who could not be made ministers today will be accommodated in the Govt setup and the organization. This exercise has been done to bring in young faces and strike a social and regional balance, said Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat.
- Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, and Gurkirat Kotli also took oath as ministers in Punjab Government.
- Sangat Gilzian, Pargat Singh take oath.
- Raj Kumar Verka takes oath as cabinet minister.
- MLAs Vijay Inder Singla, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, and Randeep Singh Nabha take oath as Cabinet ministers in Punjab Government.
- Razia Sultana takes oath as cabinet minister.
- Sukhbinder Sarkaria, and Rana Gurjeet Singh administered the oath of the office of Cabinet minister by Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
- MLAs Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Aruna Chaudhary take oath as cabinet ministers
- Congress MLAs Brahm Mohindra and Manpreet Singh Badal take oath as Cabinet ministers of Punjab Govt.
- Congress MLAs along with their family members reach Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh for the swearing-in ceremony of new ministers
A consensus on the names for the Channi-led cabinet was reached during his meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other senior party members in the national capital.
Jalandhar Cantt legislator Pargat Singh, considered close to party's state unit chief Navjot Sidhu, is Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary.
Channi was summoned to Delhi by the Congress high command on Friday to discuss the cabinet formation. The visit came within hours of him returning from the national capital.
A total of 18 MLAs can be included in the cabinet, including Chief Minister Channi and two of his deputies Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and OP Soni.
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