In the first expansion of the 13-month-old Congress-led Punjab Government, nine new Cabinet Ministers took oath of office and secrecy during a simple but impressive ceremony at the lush green lawns of Punjab Raj Bhavan on Saturday evening.
Besides, two Ministers of State were also administered oath by Governor VP Singh Badnore, along with nine new inductees in the Council of Ministers.
As Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh conducted the ceremony, all the Ministers took oath in State’s official language — Punjabi, including Aruna Choudhary, who opted for Hindi language while taking oath as the Minister of State.
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, his Cabinet colleagues and other senior party leaders State party affairs incharge Asha Kumari and co-incharge Harish Chaudhary, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar were present during the swearing-in ceremony.
Five-time MlA from Amritsar Central Om Parkash Soni was the first one among the Ministers to be sworn-in, followed by four-time MlA from Guru Har Sahai Rana Gurmit Sodhi.
After them, Ministers of State — Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana — took oath, followed by three-time MlAs Sukhjinder Randhawa (from Dera Baba Nanak), Gurpreet Kangar (from Rampura Phul), Sukhbinder Sarkaria (from Raja Sansi), Balbir Sidhu (from Mohali).
Congress national president Rahul Gandhi’s protégé and youth face, Sangrur MlA Vijay Inder Singla, two-time MlA Sunder Sham Arora from Hoshiarpur and two-time MlA from ludhiana West Bharat Bhushan Ashu were also administered oath.
PORTFOlIOS BY SUNDAY, EACH MINISTER lIKElY TO GET TWO DEPTS
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has maintained that the portfolios would be allocated by Sunday. “The allocation would be done in such a way that every Minister is entrusted with the work of two departments,” he said indicating that the changes may be made in the already allotted ministries.
Capt Amarinder said that he would retain the portfolios that remain after the allocation, and added that his ‘personal favourite’ was anything to do with Agriculture.
‘THANKS CM’
After oath, time to say thanks! All the Ministers, except OP Soni, made it a point to say thanks and seek blessings of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh before or after taking the oath as Cabinet Minister, while some even gestured to touch his feet. Gurpeet Kangar was the lucky one to get a bear hug from the Chief Minister.
SElFIE TIME
The invitees, the party supporters, and even the kin of the Ministers had one thing in common during the oath taking ceremony — selfie. Twisting cameras, the guests captured their presence in the moments of glory by pressing the camera icon on their smartphones. The ‘picture perfect’ time lasted throughout the ceremony with even journalists and supporters posing before their own cameras with their favourite leaders.