Who Is the Newest Member of the Mann Cabinet After Dhaliwal's Departure?

Chandigarh, July 4 (NationPress) The AAP government in Punjab has welcomed Sanjeev Arora, the newly-elected lawmaker from Ludhiana (West), into the 16-member Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Arora has been entrusted with the Industry and NRI Affairs portfolios, while Kuldeep Dhaliwal, one of the senior ministers, has been removed from his position, which included the NRI Affairs portfolio.

In this Cabinet reshuffle, Tarunpreet Singh Sond has been relieved of the Industry portfolio but will retain responsibilities for the Rural Development, Labour, and Tourism Departments.

Dhaliwal stated he submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister earlier in the day, prior to the oath-taking ceremony, emphasizing his commitment to Punjab over the position itself.

“I have resigned voluntarily. For me, Punjab comes first, and the position is secondary. I was informed that another individual would be given an opportunity, and I agreed that they should have that chance,” he explained to the media.

Dhaliwal reiterated, “The Cabinet position is not my priority; Punjab is my focus, and I will continue to contribute without pause for its betterment.”

Notably, Dhaliwal had been assigned the Administrative Department in May 2023 during a Cabinet reshuffle, after which he was relieved of the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare portfolio while keeping the NRI Affairs department.

After 20 months, a government notification confirmed that the Administrative Reforms Department, which was previously managed by Dhaliwal, is now defunct.

The Bharatiya Janata Party criticized the AAP government, with Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri remarking, “He was managing a department for 20 months that does not exist anymore. Such occurrences can only happen under AAP’s governance.”

With Dhaliwal's removal, the Cabinet maintains a total of 16 ministers, leaving two vacancies.

Sanjeev Arora’s appointment aligns with a pre-election promise made by AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal, who assured voters that Arora would be inducted as a minister if elected.

Arora received the oath of office from Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at Punjab Raj Bhawan in a modest ceremony.

This induction marks the seventh expansion of the Mann Cabinet in a span of three years, with the previous expansion occurring in September when five new members joined after the removal of four ministers.

At that time, the dropped ministers included Balkaur Singh, Anmol Gagan Mann, Chetan Singh Jauramajra, and Brahm Shankar Jhimpa.

Businessman-turned-politician Arora triumphed in the Ludhiana (West) bypoll on June 23, winning by a margin of 10,637 votes.

He resigned from the Upper House of Parliament on Tuesday and was elected as a first-time MP in the Rajya Sabha from Punjab on April 10, 2022, with his term set to conclude on April 9, 2028.