Punjab Cabinet expansion: Five new ministers likely to be inducted

If sources are anything to go by, five new ministers will be inducted into the Cabinet while Aman Arora, Prof Baljinder Kaur and Sarvajit Kaur Manuke believed to be the frontrunners.

Chandigarh: The Bhagwant Mann led AAP government in Punjab is likely to induct five new ministers in the Cabinet. It is learnt that CM Mann held a closed door meeting for around three hours with AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and party leader and Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha in Delhi to discuss the Cabinet expansion.

If sources are anything to go by, five new ministers will be inducted into the Cabinet while Aman Arora, Prof Baljinder Kaur and Sarvajit Kaur Manuke believed to be the frontrunners. The new minsters are likely to be allotted major portfolios, including Health, the additional charge of which currently lies with CM Mann himself. It is said that one of the new minsters will be a woman face.

Pertinently, since Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann dismissed Health Minister Dr Vijay Singla over graft charges in May, eight ministerial posts have fallen vacant. After the formation of the government, 10 ministers besides CM Bhagwant Mann were sworn-in. The Cabinet expansion has also been necessitated as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has 28 departments to look after. The Cabinet expansion had been delayed in Punjab due to the budget session, which ended on Friday.