6 new ministers in new Punjab CM Charanjit Channi’s cabinet

Punjab’s new Chief Minister, Charanjit Singh Channi, has admitted six new people to his Cabinet and dropped some from his predecessor Amarinder Singh’s team. 

The new team has 15 members. The expansion, coming months ahead of the assembly polls, has already sparked resentment among those dropped and also over the return of a scandal-tainted MLA dropped earlier.

The ministers taking oath of office are: Brahm Mohindra, Manpreet Singh Badal, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbindr Singh Sarkaria, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Aruna Chaudary, Razia Sultana, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Vijay Inder Singla, Randeep Singh Nabha, Raj Kumar Verka, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Pargat Singh, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Gukrirat Singh Kotli.

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Mohindra, a prominent Hindu, is the senior-most leader of the Punjab Congress. He is older than even former CM and Congress heavyweight Amarinder Singh. He was local bodies minister in Amarinder’s cabinet.

Nabha, Verka, Gilzian, Pargat Singh, Warring, and Kotli are new to the job.

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

Rana Gurjeet Singh was part of Amarinder’s team but was dropped in January 2018 following a sand-mining scandal involving him and his family.