The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is all set to expand its Cabinet with two legislators slated to be inducted as Ministers.
Ahead of the Cabinet expansion and possible reshuffle, the Local Government Minister Inderbir Singh Nijjer resigned from the Council of Ministers.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann forwarded his resignation to Governor Banwari Lal Purohit for early acceptance.
Balkar Singh, MLA from Kartarpur, and Gurmeet Singh Khudian, MLA from Lambi Assembly constituency shall be inducted into the Cabinet.
The government has requested the Governor to accord approval to administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new Ministers at 11 a.m. on May 31.
A government statement said in a communique to the Governor that Mr. Mann had impressed upon him to accept the resignation of Dr. Nijjer, who had resigned on personal grounds. The Chief Minister had also proposed the names Balkar Singh, MLA Kartarpur, and Gurmeet Singh Khudian, MLA Lambi, for inducting them as Cabinet Ministers, said the statement.
Sources said that apart from the induction of the two MLAs as new Ministers, there were possibilities that the portfolios of some existing Ministers would be changed.
In Punjab, there are 15 Ministers in the State Cabinet including the Chief Minister. There are a total number of 18 berths in the Cabinet.
