Governor Gulab Chand Kataria administered the oath of minister to Sanjeev Arora. After this, he joined hands and congratulated him.
Sanjeev Arora, who won the by -election from Ludhiana, has left Rajya Sabha and has become the new minister of the Punjab government. He took oath at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan on Thursday. He can be entrusted with the responsibility of the Housing Department or the industry. He is the current of Punjab
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This is the 7th cabinet expansion during the AAP government’s tenure of 3 and a half years. After this, there is a possibility of change in the departments of ministers.
The Punjab government last expanded the cabinet in September 2024. During this, Hardeep Singh Mundia, Barinder Kumar Goyal, Taranpreet Singh Sound and Mohinder Bhagat were included in the cabinet. While Balkar Singh, Chetan Singh Judamajra, Brahmashankar Jimpa and Anmol Gagan Maan were discharged.
There may be 18 ministers in the cabinet including Chief Minister Mann in Punjab. At this time there are 16 ministers including CM Bhagwant Mann. There will be 17 ministers after Arora joins the cabinet.
After winning the by -election, CM Bhagwant Mann and AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal with Sanjeev Arora.
MLA Sanjeev Arora taking oath as MLA. (File photo)
The ceremony was averted due to the first governor being out Arora was scheduled to join the cabinet before being elected. Because, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal announced during Arora’s election campaign, that people should make him an MLA, we will make him a minister. Earlier on 1 July, Arora resigned from his Rajya Sabha membership. The ceremony could have been held earlier also, but at that time Governor Gulab Chand Kataria was visiting Udaipur. Now they have come to Chandigarh. After this, the oath ceremony is scheduled to take place at 1 pm on Thursday.
Sanjeev Arora won in Ludhiana West by -election Gurpreet Singh Gogi became an MLA from Ludhiana West in the 2022 assembly elections in Punjab, but in January 2025, he died at home after being shot by his own pistol. After this, this seat was vacant. The Election Commission held by -elections in June to fill this seat.
In this by -election, AAP nominated Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora as its candidate. In its campaigning, CM Bhagwant Mann and party supremo Kejriwal promised people that if Arora becomes an MLA, he would be made a minister. After this, people voted for Arora openly. Arora won by a margin of 10,637 votes. He received 43.34% more votes than rival Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
Has resigned to Vice President After winning the by -election, Sanjeev Arora has resigned from the post of Rajya Sabha MP. Arora personally met Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Vice President’s residence in New Delhi on Tuesday and submitted his resignation to him. At the same time, now Arora’s resignation has been vacant by the party. There is a discussion in the political corridors that AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal can go to Rajya Sabha to cash in on this opportunity.