Punjab Cabinet expanded, 15 Ministers sworn-in, 5 dropped

Chandigarh,NewsOnRadarBureau, Sep.26: Punjab cabinet was  expanded in the state capital, adding 15 more ministers. taking the total to 18 including  CM Charajit Singh Channi.  The state Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered oath of office to all the  new ministers.  Tript Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria, Rana Gurjit Singh, Aruna Chaudhary, Razia Sultana, BB Ashu, Vijay Inder Singla were the prominent among the new team, sworn in as Ministers on Sunday afternoon.

Nine of the previous CM Amrinder Singh’s cabinet find place in the new avatar, including Braham Mohindra, Manpreet Badal, Tript Rajnder Singh Bajwa, Aruna Chaudhary, Sukh Sarkaria, Rana Gurjeet, Razia Sultana (wife of Navjot Sidhu’s adviser), Vijyendra Singhla, Bharat Bhushan Ashu.  Apart from regional representation (9 from Malwa which has 69 seats in all, 7 from Majha out of 25 and 3 from Doaba sending 23 MLAs in all).

New cabinet obviously, has an equal inputs from Party’s ex-President Rahul Gandhi and state president Sidhu). Amrinder Singh Raja Wadding had been Youth Congress President and closer to Rahul Gandhi whereas former Hockey Captain Pargat Singh who had left Akali Dal to join Congress is closer to Sidhu. Dr. Rajkumar Verka, strong leader of SC section had been closer to former CM Capt. Amrinder Singh, but was left out of cabinet earlier, has now been accommodated.