M A I N   N E W S

Badal to retain old faces
12 SAD, 5 BJP ministers expected today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 1
It is expected that all 17 ministerial berths in the Punjab Council of Ministers will be filled tomorrow by Parkash Singh Badal. He will be sworn in as Chief Minister. Sources said this decision was taken at a joint meeting of senior leaders of the SAD-BJP combine here tonight.

This has been done to avoid any pulls and pressures to fill the vacant slots at a later stage. Sources said most of the old faces would be inducted as ministers. So, the council of ministers having a drastically unexpected look is ruled out.

The size of the assembly allows only 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister. Sources said as per the shareing formula arrived at the tonight meeting, the SAD would have 12 berths of ministers, including that of the Chief Minister, while the remaining five would go to the BJP.

The BJP has reportedly dropped its demand for deputy chief ministership and bargained for “important” portfolios.

Among those from SAD, the names being discussed to be ministers are Ranjit Singh Brahampura, Kanwaljit Singh, Manpreet Singh Badal, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Sucha Singh Langah, Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Upinderjit Kaur, Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon, Ajit Singh Kohar, Gulzar Singh Ranike and Janmeja Singh Sekhon.

Among the BJP the names being discussed are those of Manoranjan Kalia, Swarna Ram, Master Mohan Lal, Tikshan Sud, Laxmi Kanta Chawla and Jagdish Sahni. Betwnn Sahni and Sud only may make it.

For the post of speaker the name of Nirmal Singh Kahlon has almost been finalised, while Satpal Gosian is expected to be the deputy speaker.

Also the SAD-BJP combine has decided that it would not offer the post of deputy speaker to the opposition. The Congress had not shown any such nicety.