After hectic lobbying, disagreements within party and meetings with Party High Command in Delhi, the Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has finalised the names for the new cabinet. The swearing-in ceremony has started at Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh.
As many as 15 MLAs took oath as Ministers. Among these 15, six of them are completely and one returning to the ministerial berth after three years.
Those taking oath today include Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Brahm Mahindra, Manpreet Singh Badal, Vijayinder Singla, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Rana Gurjit Singh, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Razia Sultana, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Pargat Singh, Raj Kumar Verka, Bharat Bhushan Aashu, Aruna Chaudhary, Randip Singh and Gurkirat Singh Kotli.
Of these, Randip Singh Nabha, Pargat Singh, Raj Kumar Verka, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Raja Warring and Gurkirat Singh Kotli, are the new faces, while Rana Gurjit was part of the Capt Amarinder’s cabinet earlier but was forced to resign after his named surfaced in a sand mining scandal.
Besides, those dropped from the previous Amarinder Singh cabinet include Balbir Singh Sidhu, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Sundar Shyam Arora.
Moreover, it is learnt that the party high command has asked the Chief Minister to retain Brahm Mohindra and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on the same portfolios.
Also Read: Last-minute changes in Channi’s Cabinet; Randip Singh Nabha replaces Kuljit Nagra
Meanwhile, the selection of the names for Punjab’s cabinet hasn’t been easy for CM Channi and party high command as former flew to Delhi thrice in last few days to hold back to back meetings with Rahul Gandhi and among other leaders.