Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi carries out first cabinet expansion

Among those who took oath at a ceremony underway at the Raj Bhavan here were Brahm Mohindra, Manpreet Singh Badal, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Aruna Chaudhary, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Rana Gurjit Singh.

Razia Sultana, Vijay Inder Singla and Bharat Bhushan Ashu were the other ministers to be sworn in.

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to the legislators.

A total of 18 MLA, including chief minister, can be included in the cabinet

Channi had taken oath as the chief minister following the unceremonious exit of Congress veteran Amarinder Singh.

Channi”s two deputies Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and OP Soni were sworn in on Monday.

Earlier, a section of Congress leaders from the state had written to the party’s state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu against the induction of former minister Rana Gurjit Singh, alleging he was “corrupt and tainted”.