Punjab Cabinet expansion: 15 MLAs sworn-in as Council of Ministers; Sidhu camp dominates

After hectic parlays in Congress, 15 MLAs were inducted into the Punjab Council of Ministers led by Charanjit Singh Channi at the Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh on Sunday. A total of 15 Cabinet Ministers- seven new and eight others retained from the previous cabinet were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit. 5 Ministers have been dropped from the previous cabinet. 

After Charanjit Singh Channi took oath as the new Chief Minister of Punjab, rounds of discussion were held to finalize the names of the new ministers. As per sources, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and Rahul Gandhi, former Congress President, held a video conference meeting till late Saturday night. 

Full list of Ministers

1. Brahm Mohindra (Patiala rural MLA, former Minister of Local Government, Parliamentary Affairs, Elections, and Removal of Grievances)
2. Manpreet Singh Badal (Bathinda Urban MLA, former Minister of Finance)
3. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa (Fatehgarh Churian MLA, former Minister Rural Development and Panchayats, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Dairy Development, Higher Education)
4. Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria ( Raja Sansi MLA, former Minister of Water Resources, Mines & Geology, Housing and Urban Development)
5. Rana Gurjit Singh (Kapurthala MLA) 
6. Aruna Chaudhary (Dina Nagar MLA)
7. Razia Sultana (Malerkotla MLA, former Minister of Water Supply & Sanitation, Transport)
8. Bharat Bhushan Ashu (Ludhiana West  MLA, former Minister of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs)
9. Vijay Inder Singla (Sangrur MLA, former Minister of Public Works, School Education)
10. Randeep Singh Nabha ( Amloh MLA)
11. Raj Kumar Verka (Amritsar West MLA)
12. Sangat Singh Gilzian (Urmar MLA)
13. Pargat Singh (Jalandhar Cantt MLA)
14. Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (Gidderbaha MLA)
15. Gurkirat Singh Kotli (Khanna MLA)

Channi takes oath as Punjab CM

On Monday, Congress High Command's pick 58-year-old Charanjit Singh Channi took oath as the 16th Chief Minister of Punjab, in the presence of Governor Banwarilal Purohit at Raj Bhawan, Chandigarh. Apart from Channi, two Deputy CMs - Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (A Jat Sikh) and OP Soni (a Hindu) too took the oath. Channi, a Minister for Technical Educational in the Amarinder Singh government, is a 3-time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib, a vocal critic of the ex-CM, and a close aide of Navjot Sidhu. 

Blindsided by the CLP meeting called without his knowledge, 79-year-old Capt Amarinder Singh tendered his resignation from the Punjab CM post after 4.5 years along with his council of ministers. Informing Sonia Gandhi of his decision, he lamented, "I feel humiliated. I cannot run a government like this."  Terming Sidhu an incompetent, anti-national, pro-Pak man, Singh said that he will oppose if Sidhu is picked as the next CM. While Singh and Sidhu have locked horns since 2019, the final blow to Singh came when the Congress High Command picked Sidhu as Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief, despite the CM's vehement opposition.

Image: ANI