Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is set to expand its cabinet today, marking the seventh cabinet expansion in three years. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at 1 pm at Raj Bhawan.
Newly-elected Ludhiana West MLA Sanjeev Arora will be inducted into the cabinet. There is a possibility of a reshuffle in the portfolios of some ministers during this expansion.
Arora is likely to be given charge of the housing or industry department, though there is no clarity yet on whether other new leaders will be inducted.
Punjab can have a maximum of 18 ministers, including the chief minister, in its cabinet. Arora had resigned from his Rajya Sabha membership on July 1 ahead of his induction. His appointment to the cabinet was expected, as AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had announced during Arora’s election campaign that if people elected him as an MLA, the party would make him a minister.
The swearing-in was delayed earlier due to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria’s visit to Udaipur. Following his return to Chandigarh, the oath-taking ceremony was scheduled for Thursday.
