Channi tries to infuse youth, caste balance in State Cong

The old order came to an end in the Punjab Congress with the induction of young and new faces into the Cabinet in an apparent attempt to infuse enthusiasm and youth in the party, just about three months before elections, while ensuring a social, caste and regional balance.

Six days after he took over the party reins amid a changed political situation, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday introduced his 15-member Council of Ministers, inducting seven new faces while retaining eight from the previous Cabinet. However, the re-entry of Rana Gurjit Singh, who stepped down following his alleged involvement in a mining scam less a year after becoming the Minister in 2018, has attracted a lot of criticism, not only from rivals but from within the party also.

The new Cabinet, formed with the approval of the party high command, especially Rahul Gandhi, has three below-50 Ministers — indicating the party’s effort to bring in a generational shift by giving the youth a chance to perform with just about three months in hand. Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, 43, is the youngest Minister in the Channi Cabinet, while 78-year-old Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa is the oldest.

While constituting the Cabinet, which took about three days of hectic deliberations with the high command and Channi’s back-to-back trips to the national Capital, special attention has been paid to strike a balance between all castes, sections, and regions. Besides, an attempt has been made to placate the legislators close to the former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, while also paying off for the loyalty to the party.

In all, eight of the 15 Ministers, who took oath of office on Sunday, were retained by Channi, including Brahm Mohindra, Manpreet Singh Badal, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbindr Singh Sarkaria, Aruna Chaudary, Razia Sultana, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, and Vijay Inder Singla. Six are the first timers — Randeep Singh Nabha, Raj Kumar Verka, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Pargat Singh, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, and Gurkirat Singh Kotli; while one Rana Gurjit Singh, who stepped down in 2018, made a re-entry.

Brahm Mohindra, a prominent Hindu, is the senior-most leader of the Punjab Congress. 

Four-time MLA Nabha, popularly known as Kaka, was finally placated by the high command by dropping the name of Punjab Congress’ working president Kuljit Singh Nagra at the eleventh hour “without any opposition”.

It has been learnt that the Raj Bhawan has to issue an ultimatum to the Punjab Government to share the list of the MLAs to be sworn-in.

Five Ministers — Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, and Sunder Sham Arora — who all supported Captain Amarinder during the political turmoil that led to his dethroning, have been dropped.

The induction of Kotli, grandson of former Chief Minister Beant Singh, was opposed by the Opposition parties — Shiromani Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party. He had faced trial in the 1994 case of abduction and molestation of a French tourist, but was acquitted in 1999.

Besides, seven senior party leaders from Doaba, including six legislators, have met Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu hours ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, strongly opposing Rana Gurjit’s “proposed inclusion”. In a letter written to Sidhu, they said: “We all request you to immediately drop Rana Gurjit Singh from the Cabinet expansion and instead include a clean Dalit face in view of the upcoming election.”

Other than Channi, the new Cabinet also has Verka from the Scheduled Caste community —apparently to woo the estimated 31 per cent of vote bank in the State. While taking oath, Verka changed the wordings of his “oath” and referred to the Constitution as the one “drafted by BR Ambedkar”.

Among the seven new faces, five are Jats, one an OBC, and another a Valmiki. However, Mazhabi Sikh MLAs have been left out of the Cabinet.

Questions were also raised on giving six Ministers from Doaba region, while ignoring Western Malwa region which is the epicentre of active politics having the Badals’ and the Aam Aadmi Party’s presence.