Sanjeev Arora joins Bhagwant Mann Cabinet, gets NRI Affairs, Industry; Kuldeep Dhaliwal dropped

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today inducted newly elected Ludhiana West MLA Sanjeev Arora into his Cabinet while Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal was dropped, leaving the strength of the Council of Ministers unchanged at 16 and keeping two berths vacant.

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Hours before Arora was sworn in, NRI Affairs Minister Dhaliwal met the Chief Minister at the latter’s residence and submitted his resignation.

Talking to The Tribune, Dhaliwal said he put in his papers after Chief Minister Mann told him that he wanted to give an opportunity to other MLAs to serve in his Cabinet. “I didn’t think for a second and immediately submitted my resignation. I have never hankered for posts and even gave up my US citizenship to serve the people of Punjab. I will continue to do so as an MLA and remain a loyal soldier of the party till my last breath,” he said.

Dhaliwal’s portfolio of NRI Affairs, along with Industry and Investment Promotion, has been allocated to Arora, an industrialist and philanthropist who had resigned from the Rajya Sabha to contest the Assembly bypoll from Ludhiana West.

The Industry and Investment Promotion Department was earlier with Tarunpreet Singh Sond, who is now left with Rural Development and Panchayats, Labour and Tourism.

In a short but impressive ceremony, Arora was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at Punjab Raj Bhawan in the afternoon in the presence of Chief Minister Mann, a few ministers and other dignitaries.

Wearing a yellow kurta pyjama, Arora took the oath in Punjabi. The ceremony, which was conducted by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, merely lasted six minutes. It was the seventh rejig of the Cabinet during the over three-year rule of the Aam Aadmi Party government.