9 new Cabinet ministers for Punjab, swearing-in today

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20

The Punjab Cabinet will finally be expanded on Saturday after Congress president Rahul Gandhi approved the names of nine new ministers in an evening meeting with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

The nine are three-term MLA from Dera Baba Nanak Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, three-term MLA from Raja Sansi Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, former Sangrur MP and sitting MLA Vijay Inder Singla; two-time Ludhiana West lawmaker Bharat Bhushan Ashu; Hoshiarpur MLA Sunder Sham Arora; four-term MLAs from Amritsar Central and Guruharsahai OP Soni and Rana Gurmit Sodhi; two-time MLA from Rampura Phul Gurpreet Kangar, and three-term lawmaker from SAS Nagar Balbir Sidhu.

Malwa region got the maximum representation in the expansion with Arora, the sole minister from Doaba, being brought in to fill the void left by former minister Rana Gurjit, who quit following allegations of involvement in a sand mining row.

Among the ministers from Malwa are Sodhi, Singla, Ashu and Kangar. Randhawa, Soni and Sarkaria come from the Majha region. The names were finalised after prolonged discussions. Also present were state Congress incharge Asha Kumari, state chief Sunil Jakhar and AICC secretary Harish Choudhry. It is learnt that Gandhi was extremely conscious of the “image of the expanded Cabinet” after the fiasco involving Rana Gurjit and had reservations over the names of Rana Sodhi and OP Soni. The CM and Asha Kumari were, however, firmly backing the two.

Randhawa and Kangar were especially favoured since Randhawa was the force behind a petition MLAs had signed on the issue of drug menace, while Kangar has personally suffered attacks at the hands of the Akali leadership in his area.

Ashu had the support of Gandhi and is mostly seen as his nominee. Singla, however, found favour from both the CM and the Congress leadership. The other frontrunners from Doaba, SS Gilzian and Navtej Cheema, are likely to be accommodated elsewhere. Sources said Sarkaria might be considered for the Power and Irrigation portfolio held by Rana Gurjit.

Two to be elevated

Ministers of State Razia Sultana and Aruna Chaudhary are to be elevated to Cabinet rank. The new ministers will take oath at a ceremony scheduled for 6 pm on Saturday. TNS

THE CHOSEN ONES

• Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Dera Baba Nanak
• Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Raja Sansi 
• Vijay Inder Singla, Sangrur
• Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Ludhiana West 
• Sunder Sham Arora, Hoshiarpur
• OP Soni, Amritsar Central  
• Rana Gurmit Sodhi, Guruharsahai
• Gurpreet Kangar, Rampura Phul 
• Balbir Sidhu, SAS Nagar