Chandigarh: Nine days after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swept the polls in Punjab, 10 of its legislators – eight of whom are first-timers - were sworn in as Cabinet ministers in the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government on Saturday.
Of these 10 ministers, two have made it to the state assembly for the second time while two of first timers are doctors by profession. The AAP had fought its maiden assembly poll in 2017 and won 20 seats while this time, it swept the polls with 92 of the total 117 seats.
Harpal Singh Cheema, a Dalit leader, re-elected from Dirba seat for the second time was the Leader of Opposition in the previous Congress government. Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, re-elected from Barnala seat, was also among the ones sworn in as the Cabinet minister, was with AAP subsequent to Anna Hazare movement days.
Among the two doctors inducted as the ministers was Dr Baljit Kaur, an ophthalmologist, and the only woman minister in the first list of the Cabinet ministers, is the daughter of former AAP MP Sadhu Singh. While she is the first-time legislator from Malout constituency, Dr Vijay Singla, who defeated popular Punjabi singer and Congress candidate Sidhu Moosewala from Mansa, is a dentist by profession.
The six first-timers included Harbhajan Singh, who was an excise and taxation officer and had taken voluntary retirement to join politics in 2017, won from Jandiala seat.
Lal Chand Kataruchak, a social worker who defeated veteran Congress leader Joginder Pal in Bhoa, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, who defeated SAD’s Amarpal Singh from Ajnala, Laljit Singh Bhullar, who defeated Pratap Singh Kairon, son-in-law of Parkash Singh Badal were also first-timers and inducted as ministers.
Bram Shanker Jimpa, a former Congress leader and a councilor for 25 years, defeated Congress’ former minister Sunder Shyam Arora in Hoshiarpur and Harjot Singh Bains, defeated Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh from Sri Anandpur Sahib, were also among the first-timers inducted as ministers at the swearing-in ceremony held at Raj Bhavan, here.
It may be recalled that Mann, 48, was sworn in as the 28th chief minister of Punjab at a huge ceremony held at Khatkar Kalan, freedom fighter Bhagat Singh's ancestral village on Wednesday.
Mann’s Cabinet is a lean cabinet with 10 ministers as there are a total of 18 berths, including that of the chief minister. The new ministers are expected to fulfill the big promises made by the AAP ahead of the February 20 assembly elections.
CABINET NOD TO 25K JOBS
Meanwhile, chief minister Bhagwant Mann who chaired his first cabinet meeting with the newly inducted ministers later in the day approved 25,000 government jobs. These included 10,000 vacancies in the Punjab Police department and 15,000 vacancies in other government departments.
