Punjab’s new Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi inducted 15 new ministers in his cabinet, seven of these are new faces. The ceremony was administered by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit. The cabinet expansion comes months before the state Assembly polls.
Punjab CM Channi’s newly inducted ministers are:
Brahm Mohindra
Brahm Mohindra was the first in the induction ceremony who has been elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly six times. He was a health and family welfare minister in the previous Amarinder Singh-led government.
Manpreet Singh Badal
Manpreet Singh Badal is a five-time MLA and was the finance minister in the previous Amarinder Singh-led government. He has presented the budget eight times, perhaps the maximum for any minister in Punjab.
Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa
A rural development, Panchayats and housing and urban development minister in the previous government, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa is a four-time MLA from Punjab.
Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria
A three-time MLA from Rajasansi constituency, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria held the water resources, mines and geology, housing and urban development portfolio.
Rana Gurjit Singh
A former irrigation minister, was a surprise entry after four years, despite opposition from six other legislators. He was inducted after two-time MLA Kuljit Nagra was dropped at the last moment.
Aruna Chaudhary
Previously, minister of transport, social security and women and child development, Aruna Chaudhary is among the two women ministers retained from Amarinder Singh’s government.
Razia Sultana
Razia Sultana is the second woman minister from the previous government. She held higher education, water supply and sanitation portfolio.
Bharat Bhushan Ashu
A two-time MLA from Ludhiana, Bharat Bhushan Ashu was the minister of food and civil supplies and consumer affairs in the previous Amarinder Singh-led government.
Vijay Inder Singhla
Vijay Inder Singhla is known for his closeness to Punjab’s former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. A prominent Hindu face, he was the minister of public works, information and technology.
Randeep Singh Nabha
A four-time MLA from Amloh, Randeep Singh Nabha was a member of the committee on library and committee on public undertakings of Punjab Vidhan Sabha during 2018-19.
Raj Kumar Verka
Raj Kumar Verka is a Valmiki community leader. He represents the Amritsar West constituency.
Sangat Singh Gilzian
A new face inducted in the Punjab cabinet, Sangat Singh Gilzian represents the other backward class. He was elected as a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 2017 from Urmar. Recently, he was also picked as the Working Presidents of the state unit.
Pargat Singh
Two-time MLA Pargat Singh is an Akali Dal rebel. He was appointed as the state general secretary and is an Olympian level hockey player-turned-bureaucrat-turned-politician.
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring began his career as a student union leader. He carved his name in the assembly from Gidderbaha in 2012, after defeating the then People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal, who is now in the Congress. He was also the Indian Youth Congress president in 2014.
Gurkirat Kotli
Gurkirat Kotli too started his political career as a student union leader. Kotli’s grandfather, late Beant Singh, was also the chief minister from 1992 – 1995. His father Tej Parkash Singh served as the Transport Minister of state.
