September 26
After a lot of discussions and deliberations, new Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, expanded his council of ministers on Sunday.
Fifteen Ministers sworn in as Ministers on Sunday including six first-timers. Both the women ministers Aruna Chaudhary, who is related to Channi, and Razia Sultana, a prominent Muslim face, were retained in the Punjab Cabinet.
The ministers taking oath of office today 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.
Pargat Singh (Jalandhar Cantonment), Amrinder Singh Raja Warring (Gidderbaha) and Gurkirat Singh Kotli,(Khanna), Kaka Randeep Singh Nabha, (Amloh), Raj Kumar Verka, (Amritsar-West) and Sangat Singh Gilzian (Urmar) were the new faces in the Cabinet.
Pargat Singh, an Akali Dal rebel, is the hockey Olympian-turned-bureaucrat-turned-politician. He was appointed as the state General Secretary.
Channi, 58, was sworn in as Chief Minister on September 20 along with his two deputies — Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and O.P. Soni, both ministers in previous Council of Ministers.
Amarinder Singh resigned as Chief Minister on September 18 after months of political tussle with state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
