Cabinet expansion before Budget: Capt

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 25

Punjab will have a full Cabinet in place before the commencement of the Budget session, the first under the newly elected Congress government in the state.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh told The Tribune: “We will install a full Cabinet before the Budget session in June. All ministers will be in place by then.”

The Cabinet can have 17 ministers. Only nine have been inducted and sworn in along with the CM on March 16.

In the first round, Amarinder had inducted his senior most colleagues. He is now expected to consider second rung leaders as per seniority for inclusion in the Cabinet.

Parallel to Cabinet expansion, Amarinder wants to be relieved of the charge of PPCC chief and has urged party vice-president Rahul Gandhi to decide on the replacement.

Amarinder said: “I have requested Rahul to decide on somebody. It has to be his decision. I told him we should look for a state organisation chief soon otherwise the party will suffer because I am busy with governance. We will talk about the names when the decision to appoint a new chief is taken.”

There is speculation that the Congress might appoint a Hindu leader this time to strike a balance among castes in the state where it has already accommodated Jat Sikh and Dalit leaders in top positions, including the Cabinet.

“A Hindu PPCC chief is a strong possibility this time. Like all sections, Hindus this time reposed faith in the Congress. It is an important community and needs to be represented suitably not just because they supported us but because they deserve representation,” said a source privy to the developments.

Former CLP Leader Sunil Jakhar is among the probables, but leaders say it’s too early to predict.