Capt meets Rahul, decision on new ministers likely today

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 19

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is expected to take a call on the names of nine new Punjab Cabinet ministers on Friday after he held a long review meeting with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday evening.

The Cabinet expansion is expected any time after the names are cleared by Gandhi.

The meeting at the Congress chief’s 12 Tughlaq Lane residence was also attended by state Congress incharge Asha Kumari, PPCC president Sunil Jakhar and state AICC secretary Harish Choudhry.

The CM is learnt to have submitted to Gandhi a list of leaders who have been MLAs for two terms or more. They are the ones who will be considered for Cabinet berths in the long-pending expansion.

The list records the seniority of these MLAs. The seniormost among them is Rakesh Pandey from Ludhiana and OP Soni from Amritsar, followed by four-time MLAs Rana Gurmeet Sodhi and Randeep Singh Nabha. Several three-time legislators are also in the reckoning.

A meeting will take place on Friday to finalise the probable ministers. Sources said the list also mentioned the regional representation of the MLAs to ensure that the Cabinet expansion factored in all regions. At present, of the nine ministers, six are from Malwa and three from Majha. The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are also from Malwa.

The expansion will feature an MLA from Doaba. Kapurthala legislator Rana Gurjit Singh had resigned from the Cabinet early this year following allegations of corruption in the sand mine auctions.

EXPANSION OVERDUE

The CM is learnt to have submitted to Rahul Gandhi a list of leaders who have been MLAs for two terms or more. They are the ones who will be considered for Cabinet berths in the long-pending expansion.