Gurnam Singh invited to form ministry

Chandigarh, March 7

Mr Gurnam Singh, leader of the United People’s Front — a coalition of all Opposition parties and Independents — will form the Punjab Ministry and will thus head the first-ever non-Congress Government in this State.

The new Ministry will be sworn in tomorrow at 5 p.m., Mr Gurnam Singh, Chief Minister-designate, told the Press immediately after he was asked by the Governor to form the Ministry.

Click here for a larger view of The Tribune Page 1 published on March 7, 1967

He said as far as possible size of the Cabinet would not exceed 10 – that would be the effort. He hoped to submit to the Governor the list of his Cabinet colleagues either tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Part IV Election series :  Punjab Assembly Elections — 1967

Read more: 

• A United Front pushes Congress to the Opposition Benches
• Polling in punjab to be over by 5 p.m. on February 19
• Front ministry won't last long, says Zail Singh
• Congress hopeful of forming government
• Gurmukh Singh Musafir Defeated
• Sant Prefers Mrs. Gandhi To Desai
• Electioneering Comes To End
• Punjab and Haryana Go To Polls
• 13 Arrested For Personation In Chandigarh
• A New Chapter
• Congress Setback In Punjab
• Final party position in Punjab Assembly
• Gurnam Singh invited to form ministry

The question of appointment of Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers would be considered later.

The Communists of both Right and Left wings, he added, would not join the Cabinet but would support the Ministry.

The Budget session of the Punjab State Legislature would commence from March 20, he indicated.

Explaining the broad policy of his Government, Mr. Gurnam Singh said that corruption would be the first casualty. “A tribunal to investigate all charges of corruption and nepotism against high-ups, as announced in our programme, will be set up although it will take some time to do so.”

 “We shall give and seek co-operation from the Central Government”, he said answering a question on the future relationship between the State and the Union Government.

He declined to give his preference as to who should be the Prime Minister of India, as he said: “It is beyond my sphere.”

He said that the Cabinet would consider in due course about the future of the Punjab Legislative Council – whether it should be retained or abolished.

In a message to the people of Punjab Mr. Gurnam Singh said: “We wish them happiness and prosperity and harmonious relations between different groups in the State. We will create confidence in them that they are one.”