Amritsar district’s 2 AAP leaders likely to get Cabinet berth

Neeraj Bagga

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Amritsar, March 14

Keeping in view the past trend, political circles are abuzz with speculations that the AAP will allot at least two Cabinet berths to the leaders hailing from the holy city.

Names of Jeevan Jyot Kaur and former IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh are doing the rounds. Surprise picks, however, cannot be ruled out.

Notably, the Revenue Ministry has been with one leader or the other hailing from the holy city for the past at least one decade. Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, a Congress leader from Rajasansi Assembly seat, was the Revenue Minister from 2017 to 2021 under the Capt Amarinder Singh government. Before him, Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia was holding the same portfolio in the Parkash Singh Badal government in 2012.

Similarly, portfolios of Health and Local Bodies have been with different local ministers for the last-three Vidhan Sabha session.

In the just concluded Assembly, OP Soni, a local, remained the Minister of Medical Education and Research from 2019 to 2021. Earlier, he headed the School Education Department. He wrapped up his innings as Deputy Chief Minister.

During the Parkash Singh Badal government (between 2012 and 2017), another local, the then BJP minister Anil Joshi had been a Minister for Local Bodies and Medical Education and Research. Besides, there were many Chief Parliamentary Secretaries from the district as well.

Though the main ‘neck and neck’ contest was being predicted between PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu and SAD’s Bikram Singh Majithia, the residents of Amritsar East gave their verdict in favour of AAP candidate Jeevan Jyot Kaur. Jeevan Jyot defeated Sidhu by a margin of 6,750 votes.

Former IG Kunwar Vijay Partap was the only candidate of AAP, who was predicted to be a ‘clear-cut’ winner, given the response he had received. He was pitted against strong contenders — former minister (then with BJP) and SAD candidate Anil Joshi and sitting Congress MLA Sunil Dutti. He won by a convincing margin of 28,318 votes. Kunwar polled 58,133 votes followed by Joshi (29,815) and Dutti (18,983).