'Special model, PM Kejriwal by 2024…': New Punjab ministers share agenda

Ajnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said he would focus on education and health.

Ten newly-elected Punjab MLAs took oath as members of chief minister Bhagwant Mann's cabinet on Saturday in a grand event at Punjab Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh. Expectations are high for the new cabinet and the ministers will be expected to fulfil big promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party that was voted to power after it won 92 of 117 seats.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann looking on as MLAs were administered the oath by protem speaker Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar at the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

The 'who's who' of the new cabinet

1. Baljit Kaur (Maulat assembly seat)

Dr Baljit Kaur, ophthalmologist-turned-AAP MLA, revealed that as a woman and a doctor, her prime focus will be on development of women and health sector. "It is AAP's good mindset that they've included a woman in cabinet. I'll carry out all my duties honestly," Dr Kaur, who is the only woman in chief minister Mann's new cabinet, said.

2. Harjot Singh Bains (Anandpur Sahib assembly seat)

"We will make Arvind Kejriwal the PM of the country," Bains said after the oath-taking ceremony. He claimed AAP would work towards a 'Punjab model' to 'again build a Punjab of Maharaja Ranjit Singh'.

3. Harpal Singh Cheema (Dibra assembly seat)

After taking his oath Cheema told ANI 'common people' like him don't think of becoming ministers. "I was a servant of the public earlier... and even now I'm a servant," Cheema, who beat the Akali Dal's Gulzar Singh Moonak by over 50,000 votes, said.

4. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal (Ajnala assembly seat)

Dhaliwal said he would focus on education and health. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal took oath as a Punjab minister after he defeated the Akalis' Amarpal Singh by a narrow margin.

5. Dr Vijay Singla (Mansa assembly seat)

Dr Singla told ANI he would focus on solutions to combat drug addiction and unemployment. "We will be requiring the opposition's support if we have to progress in Punjab," Dr Singla, who defeated the Congress' Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu by more than 63,000 votes, said.

6. Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer (Barnala assembly seat)

"People have brought us because they were annoyed by a corrupt system in Punjab. We will have to uproot corruption," Hayer said after taking oath. He defeated the Akali's Kulwant Singh Keetu by a margin of 37,000 votes to win a seat in the Punjab Assembly.

7. Brahm Shankar Jimpa (Hoshiarpur assembly seat)

Jimpa won the Hoshiarpur constituency by 13,800 votes. He beat the Congress' Sunder Sham Arora. "There are lots of issues... health services are very poor. We'll work for improvement. We have got a decrepit Punjab. It'll take some time but a change will surely come."

8. Lal Chand Kataruchak (Bhoa assembly seat)

AAP’s Lal Chand Kataruchak won the Bhoa constituency by defeating Congress candidate Joginder Pal by a narrow margin of 1,204 votes.

9. Laljit Singh Bhullar (Patti assembly seat)

AAP MLA Laljit Singh Bhullar, representing the Patti constituency, made his way to the Punjab Assembly after defeating the Akali Dal's Adaish Partap Singh Kairon by nearly 11,000 votes.

10. Harbhajan Singh ETO (Jandiala assembly seat)

Harbhajan Singh ETO, who won from Jandiala by beating Sukhwinder Singh Danny of the Congress, also took oath on Saturday.