Punjab Cabinet expansion in two-three days, confirms Bhagwant Mann

All eyes are now on the expansion of Punjab Cabinet, which will take place this week. The decision on the date for expansion and rejig will be taken after a meeting of top leaders of the party with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and some of his colleagues in Delhi on Wednesday noon.

Mann had called on Governor Gulab Chand Kataria this evening to seek land for building Aam Aadmi Party office in Chandigarh. “We fulfil all conditions necessary for getting land allotted in Chandigarh, where Punjab has a 60 per cent share. The Governor has assured to examine the issue and we are hopeful of getting the land,” CM said.

Later, he confirmed that the Cabinet expansion will take place within two or three days. He made it clear that the newly elected Ludhiana (West) candidate, Sanjeev Arora, will be inducted as a minister, but declined to reveal the portfolios to be allotted to him or other changes expected in this reshuffle.

Two berths are lying vacant in the Cabinet, which can have 18 ministers, including Chief Minister. “You will soon get to know,” he quipped, when asked if all berths will be filled or there would be a change in portfolios.

“During the Jalandhar (West) bypoll last year, we had promised the voters that Mohinder Bhagat will be made a minister and we fulfilled that promise. In the election campaign of Arora in Ludhiana (West), the party had promised voters that if they gave their mandate to Arora, he would be made a minister… we will fulfil the promise. The party has won by a much bigger margin in Ludhiana (West) as compared to the 2022 Assembly election. It is our duty to honour people’s mandate,” said Mann.

The CM, Arora, state party chief Aman Arora and one or two senior ministers will be going to Delhi on Wednesday, where a meeting is scheduled at noon. Though party leaders say that the meeting has been convened at Kapurthala House on Wednesday to celebrate AAP’s win in Ludhiana and Visavadar, sources say that the final shape of the new Cabinet will also be discussed. A meeting of the Punjab Cabinet has also been scheduled for Thursday.