Bhagwant Mann govt okays Cabinet rank for 'sulking' AAP chief whip Baljinder Kaur

Chandigarh, December 12

Second-term Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Talwandi Sabo Baljinder Kaur will now be getting a Cabinet minister rank in the Punjab Government in her capacity as the chief whip of the ruling party.

A decision to this effect was taken at a Cabinet meeting held here today. In this context, the Punjab Council of Ministers has approved the enactment of “The Salaries and Allowances of the Chief Whip in Punjab Legislative Assembly Act, 2022”. The Bill, to be tabled in the Vidhan Sabha in the next session, would fix the salary and emoluments of the chief whip equivalent to that of a minister and also have provisions exempting the position from the “office of profit”, said sources.

The move may not only placate Baljinder Kaur, considering that she had publicly expressed her displeasure over being denied a ministerial berth when the AAP government was formed, but also means she would be out of the reckoning whenever the next Cabinet expansion takes place. There is already a talk of the expansion and a reshuffle in portfolios as three berths are vacant in the Bhagwant Mann government.

At the AAP national executive meeting earlier this year, held around the same time when the MLA’s “marital discord” became public, the party’s top brass had given her prominence, signalling that her “political adjustment” was certain.

A top functionary in the state government told The Tribune that their exists a precedence several other states had also given a Cabinet or Minister of State rank to the chief whip of the ruling party. “The chief whip plays a crucial role in parliamentary democracy and ensures smooth functioning of the House,” he said.

It is learnt that the Bill was sent to the Punjab Legal Remembrancer who okayed it on certain grounds, including a new law on the subject had to be made and needed to be legislated. The subject is related to Article 195 of the Constitution (read with entry 38 of the State List given in the Seventh Schedule) and as such, the state legislature is competent to enact the proposed legislation. The Bill, after it is passed by the state legislature, is not required to be reserved for assent of the President as the Governor would be competent to give assent to it. The provisions of the proposed legislative measure are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution, particularly with those relating to the fundamental rights.