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Sanjeev Arora gets industries, NRI affairs; Dhaliwal dropped from Punjab cabinet
Sanjeev Arora, a businessman-turned-politician was previously a Rajya Sabha member for three years and was inducted into the cabinet after winning the Ludhiana West assembly seat on June 23, defeating his closest Congress rival by 10,637 votes. He resigned from the Upper House of Parliament on Tuesday.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann reshuffled his cabinet on Thursday by inducting newly elected Ludhiana West MLA Sanjeev Arora as a cabinet minister while Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal was dropped.
Arora, a first-time MLA, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by governor Gulab Chand Kataria in a simple ceremony at the Punjab Raj Bhawan. The swearing-in took place in the presence of the chief minister, several cabinet ministers, MLAs, government officers and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders. Arora’s induction was followed by the news of Dhaliwal’s resignation.
His lone department, NRI Affairs, was allotted to the new minister along with industry and commerce and investment promotion, which were earlier held by Tarunpreet Singh Sond.
Sond, who is now left with tourism and culture affairs, labour, hospitality, and rural development and panchayats departments.
Mann announced the new minister’s portfolio on social media. “Sanjeev Arora ji has been entrusted with the responsibility of industry and commerce, investment promotion, and NRI affairs department. I hope he will meet the expectations of the people of Punjab and work for the state’s development and welfare of its three-crore population with honesty and without any discrimination,” the chief minister posted on X following the seventh cabinet reshuffle in just over three years.
Arora, a businessman-turned-politician was previously a Rajya Sabha member for three years and was inducted into the cabinet after winning the Ludhiana West assembly seat on June 23, defeating his closest Congress rival by 10,637 votes. He resigned from the Upper House of Parliament on Tuesday.
CM asked me to resign: Dhaliwal
Dhaliwal said that he was asked by the chief minister to resign, which he did immediately.
“Mann Saab called me in the morning, and I met him. It is the CM’s prerogative. Maybe it is the party high command’s decision. He asked me to resign, and I handed my resignation to him right away,” the Ajnala MLA told reporters. Dhaliwal added that he was told that he will be given some work in the party.
Dhaliwal said that he had no regrets, and the party gave him an opportunity to work as a minister for three-and-a-half years. “When I was panchayati raj minister, we reclaimed 11,000 areas of encroached land. As NRI Affairs minister, I held nine NRI milni events. I will prove my worth by working without any ministerial portfolio,” he added.
When asked what went wrong, the Ajnala MLA said only the chief minister could shed light on the matter. “CM saab told me that others have to be given opportunities. I have never asked for anything. We have 95 MLAs and others should get a chance.” he said. However, there is speculation within party circles that the party leadership, particularly the CM, was not satisfied with his style of functioning.
A gradual exit
Dhaliwal, a first-time MLA, was inducted into the state cabinet on March 21, 2022, as a key minister handling the rural development and panchayat, animal husbandry, dairy development and fisheries, and NRI affairs departments.
In July 2022, he was given the agriculture and farmer welfare department in place of animal husbandry, dairy development, and fisheries. He held the charge of the agriculture and farmer welfare department till May 31, 2023, when it was allotted to Gurmeet Singh Khudian. At the same time, Dhaliwal was also divested of the rural development and panchayat, leaving him with only NRI affairs and administrative reforms – the latter being a non-existent department for more than a decade, and was eventually scrapped in February this year.
