Ludhiana, July 3: Sanjeev Arora, who left the Rajya Sabha and won the by-election from Ludhiana, has become the new NRI, Industry and Commerce Minister of the Punjab government. He took oath as the 17th minister in a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan on Thursday. Sanjeev Arora was promised to be made a minister after winning the Ludhiana West by-election. This is the reason why he has entered the cabinet.
This is the 7th cabinet expansion in the nearly 3 and a half years of the AAP government. The NRI department was earlier with Kuldeep Dhaliwal, but he has now resigned. The Industry department was with Tarunpreet, which has been taken back and given to Arora. Tarunpreet is now left with only the Panchayat and Culture department.
The Punjab government had last expanded the cabinet in September 2024. During this time Hardeep Singh Mundia, Barinder Kumar Goyal, Taranpreet Singh Saund and Mohinder Bhagat were included in the cabinet. While Balkar Singh, Chetan Singh Jodmajra, Brahmashankar Jimpa and Anmol Gagan Mann were discharged.
Let us tell you that after Arora’s joining the cabinet and Kuldeep Dhaliwal’s resignation, there are now 16 ministers in the cabinet. Still one seat in the cabinet is vacant.
The ceremony was postponed due to the governor’s absence
Arora’s inclusion in the cabinet was certain even before he was elected as an MLA. Because AAP’s national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, had declared during Arora’s election campaign that if people make him an MLA, we will make him a minister.
Earlier, on July 1, Arora resigned from his Rajya Sabha membership. This ceremony could have taken place earlier, but at that time, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria was on a tour to Udaipur. Now he has come to Chandigarh. After this, the oath ceremony is scheduled to be held at 1 pm on Thursday.
Sanjeev Arora wins Ludhiana West by-election
Gurpreet Singh Gogi became 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 became vacant. To fill this seat, the Election Commission conducted by-elections in June.
In this by-election, AAP made Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora its candidate. During its campaign, CM Bhagwant Mann and party supremo Kejriwal had promised the people that if Arora became an MLA, he would be made a minister. After this, people voted for Arora wholeheartedly. Arora won by a margin of 10,637 votes. He got 43.34% more votes than rival Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
Submitted his resignation to the 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.
Now, with Arora’s resignation, a Rajya Sabha seat from the party has become vacant. There is a discussion in political circles that AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal can capitalize on this opportunity and go to Rajya Sabha.