The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is set to expand its cabinet on Thursday, July 3rd. Sanjeev Arora, recently elected as an MLA from Ludhiana West, will be inducted into the council of ministers. According to official information, Governor Banwarilal Purohit will administer the oath of office and secrecy to him at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan in the afternoon. All preparations regarding the swearing-in ceremony have been completed by the government.
Responsibility After a Big Win in the Ludhiana By-Election
Sanjeev Arora won the by-election for the Ludhiana West assembly seat on June 19th, defeating Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu by 10,637 votes. This seat became vacant after the death of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi. During the election campaign, party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that if Sanjeev Arora won the election, he would be made a minister. Now, fulfilling that promise, he is being inducted into the cabinet.
Resigned from Rajya Sabha
Before becoming a minister, Sanjeev Arora resigned from his Rajya Sabha membership on Tuesday. He has come into politics from the industry and has represented the Aam Aadmi Party in the Rajya Sabha. The party is expected to gain political strength in a major urban area like Ludhiana with Arora becoming a minister.
Currently, the Punjab cabinet has a total of 16 ministers, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, while a maximum of 18 ministers can be appointed in the state. The last cabinet reshuffle took place in September 2023, when four ministers were removed and five new faces were inducted. With Arora's inclusion, the council of ministers will be almost complete.
