Experience and young blood to go hand in hand, as the Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi tried to strike a balance in his Council of Ministers which has less than 100 days to perform before the state go to polls in early 2022.
Fifteen Congress MLAs, including six first-timers, were administered oath of office by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit as Ministers at an impressive event at Punjab Raj Bhawan on Sunday. With this, the total strength of the Cabinet is 18, including the Chief Minister Channi and his two deputies—Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and OP Soni. Till the filing of the report, the portfolios were yet to be announced.
BRAHM MOHINDRA
Six-time MLA Brahm Mohindra had served as the Health and Family Welfare and Local Government Minister in the previous Capt Amarinder Singh-led Cabinet. With his political acumen and experience, his presence in the comparatively new Cabinet is expected to go a long way.
MANPREET SINGH BADAL
Five-time legislator Manpreet Singh Badal was the Finance Minister in the previous Cabinet. Claiming to have brought the state back on the path of fiscal recovery in the past four years, Manpreet has to his credit an achievement to present the State Budget for a record eight times — maximum for any minister in Punjab.
TRIPT RAJINDER SINGH BAJWA
Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa is a four-time MLA from Punjab. He was the Rural Development and Panchayats and Housing and Urban Development Minister in the previous Punjab government led by Amarinder Singh.
SUKHBINDER SINGH SARKARIA
Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria is a three-time MLA from Rajasansi constituency. Sarkaria held water resources, mines and geology, housing and urban development portfolios in the previous Cabinet.
RANA GURJIT SINGH
Rana Gurjit Singh is a former Irrigation Minister and made a surprise comeback after four years despite objections raised by at least six legislators.
ARUNA CHAUDHARY
Aruna Chaudhary is among the two women Ministers who were retained from the previous Amarinder Singh government. She was previously the minister of transport, social security and women and child development.
RAZIA SULTANA
Razia Sultana is one the two women ministers retained from the previous government led by Amarinder Singh. She held higher education and water supply and sanitation portfolios.
BHARAT BHUSHAN ASHU
Two-time MLA from Ludhiana, Bharat Bhushan Ashu was the Minister of Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs in the Amarinder Singh-led government.
VIJAY INDER SINGLA
One of the prominent Hindu faces, Singla is known for his proximity to Capt Amarinder Singh. He was the minister of Public Works, and School Education in the previous Cabinet.
RANDEEP SINGH NABHA
Randeep Singh Nabha is a four-time MLA from Amloh. He was inducted at the expense of two-time MLA Kuljit Nagra who was dropped at the last moment.
RAJ KUMAR VERKA
Verka is a Valmiki community leader and represents Amritsar West constituency. Verka was one of the 42 Congress MLAs who submitted their resignation in protest of a decision of the Supreme Court of India ruling Punjab’s termination of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) water canal unconstitutional.
SANGAT SINGH GILZIAN
Gilzian represents the other backward classes (OBC) and is one of the new faces inducted in the Punjab cabinet. In 2017, he was elected as the member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Urmar. He was recently picked as Working Presidents of the state unit.
PARGAT SINGH
Two-time MLA Pargat Singh had started his political journey with Shiromani Akali Dal. A hockey Olympian-turned-bureaucrat-turned-politician, he was appointed as the state General Secretary recently.
AMARINDER SINGH RAJA WARRING
Warring began his political career by working as a student union leader. He made his debut in the assembly by defeating the then People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Singh Badal, who is now in the Congress, from Gidderbaha in 2012. He was the Indian Youth Congress president in 2014.
GURKIRAT KOTLI
Kotli also started his political career by working as a student union leader. Kotli’s grandfather, the late Beant Singh, was the Chief Minister from 1992 to 1995. His father Tej Parkash Singh served as the state transport minister.