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Updated September 28th, 2021 at 12:37 IST

Punjab cabinet portfolios alloted; CM Channi retains 14 depts, Dy CMs get Home & Health

newly sworn-in Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi distributed portfolios to his expanded cabinet on Tuesday. As per the list, Channi has retained 14 departments

Punjab, cabinet
IMAGE: Twitter | Image:self
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In a major development, newly sworn-in Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi distributed portfolios to his expanded cabinet on Tuesday. As per the list, Channi has retained 14 departments which include - Vigilance, Justice, power, excise, Civil Aviation. Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has been allotted Home affairs and Dy CM Om Parkash Soni has been made Health Minister. Any portfolio remaining unallotted will remain with the Chief Minister. 

Punjab cabinet portfolio distribution

Notably, Manpreet Singh Badal has snagged the Finance, Taxation and planning ministries while the highly contested minister Rana Gurjeet Singh has bagged Technical education, horticulture portfolios. Other ministers bagged Parliamentary Affairs (Brahm Mohindra), water resources (Sukbinder Sarkaria), Food & consumer affairs (Bharat Bhushan Ashu) etc. 15 MLAs took oath as cabinet ministers on Sunday - 8 from Amarinder Singh's govt and 7 new Sidhu camp MLAs, after days of deliberation between Channi and Rahul Gandhi.

Punjab cabinet expanded

On Sunday, 15 MLAs were inducted into the Punjab Council of Ministers in the presence of Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Those who took oath include - Brahm Mohindra, Manpreet Singh Badal, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Rana Gurjit Singh, Aruna Chaudhary, Razia Sultana, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Vijay Inder Singla, Randeep Singh Nabha, Raj Kumar Verka, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Pargat Singh, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Gurkirat Singh Kotli. 5 ministers namely -  Balbir Sidhu, Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, Gurpreet Singh Kangad, Sadhu Singh Dharmasot and Sundar Shyam were dropped from the previous cabinet.

Channi takes oath as Punjab CM

Last week, ongress 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 oath. Channi, a Minister for Technical Educational in the Amarinder Singh government, is a 3-time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib and 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, inspite of the CM's vehement opposition.

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Published September 28th, 2021 at 12:37 IST

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