The list includes two second-time MLAs — former leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema who has retained his Dirba constituency and Punjab AAP’s youth wing chief Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer who has been re-elected from Barnala. Besides them, the first-timers who will be included in the cabinet include AAP’s former youth wing chief Harjot Singh Bains (Sri Anandpur Sahib MLA), Dr Vijay Singla (Mansa), Dr Baljit Kaur (Malout), Lal Chand Kataruchak (Bhoa), Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal (Ajnala), Laljit Singh Bhullar (Patti), Harbhajan Singh ETO (Jandiala) and Brahm Shankar Jimpa (Hoshiarpur).
The chief minister also tweeted the names of the MLAs to be included in the cabinet, on Friday evening.
पंजाब का नया मंत्रिमंडल कल शपथ ग्रहण करेगा। पंजाब की AAP सरकार में होने वाले सभी मंत्रियों को बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएँ।… https://t.co/mqF35iSJnb
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) 1647611601000
Among them, five are from Malwa region, four from Majha and one Doaba. Four of them have been elected on seats reserved for SC candidates.
Mann can have a total of 17 ministers. Some expected names of senior leaders have been left out, including two-time Sunam MLA Aman Arora — who has won the Assembly election by the biggest margin — former IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh and giant slayers like Lab Singh Ugoke, who defeated former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi from Bhadaur and Dr Jeevan Jyot Kaur, who defeated Navjot Singh Sidhu and Bikram Singh Majithia at the hot seat Majitha.
The swearing-in ceremony for the ministers has been scheduled for 11 am, soon after which the new cabinet will hold its first meeting. Important decisions like approval to excise policy vote on account budget are on agenda.
Meanwhile, AAP MLA from Kotkapura, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, has been nominated as the next speaker of the Punjab assembly. “Heartful Thanks to My Leader Shri Arvind Kejriwal ji and My CM Bhagwant Mann Ji for imposing faith in me by Nominating me as Speaker of the Historical 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha,” he tweeted.
Heartful Thanks to My Leader Shri @ArvindKejriwal ji and My CM @BhagwantMann Ji for imposing faith in me by Nomina… https://t.co/9vwb3IkUtw
— Kultar Singh Sandhwan (@Sandhwan) 1647617824000