Arora likely to be inducted into Mann-led cabinet
Aam Aadmi Party
's new poster boy,
Sanjeev Arora
, who won the
Ludhiana West by-election
, is likely to make his entry in the Bhagwant Mann-led
Punjab Cabinet
as the party sets its house in order in the state. Mann will shuffle his Cabinet this week as two berths have been vacant. The chief minister is expected to make inductions, relieve some ministers of their current charge and assign new portfolios.
According to sources, 62-year-old Arora is likely to be inducted and given a heavy portfolio. A businessperson and Rajya Sabha member, Arora is internally recognised for introduction of the
Punjab government's land pooling scheme
and the newly-formulated 'Fast-Track Punjab', a long-standing demand of industry owners.
A Ludhiana-based industrialist, who did not wish to be named, told ET that the by-election victory should not be seen as a win for AAP, but a confidence vote for Sanjeev Arora. "He is a trusted name in Punjab as he understands what industry owners need for ease of doing business and has their support," the person said. AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had announced during the Ludhiana West bypoll campaign that Arora, when elected, would be inducted in the Cabinet. Arora is the chairperson and managing director of
Ritesh Properties and Industries Ltd.
, a group of 18 firms with offices across India. Though he started out as a garment manufacturer in Ludhiana, he is now involved in real estate, housing, and industrial and commercial sectors. Sources said Kejriwal could entrust him with the industries portfolio. The last Cabinet reshuffle in Punjab had taken place in September 2024, when five inductions were made.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Play War Thunder now for free
War Thunder
Play Now
Undo
Sources said the party is not satisfied with some of the new ministers. Local government and parliamentary affairs minister Ravjot Singh could be eased out, they hinted.
With 18 months to go for Punjab elections, AAP is trying to set its house in order. After the massive electoral loss in Delhi in February this year, Punjab elections will be a do-or-die battle for AAP.
Live Events
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
AAP suspends MLA Kunwar Vijay for ‘anti-party activities'
Amritsar: Punjab's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday suspended its Amritsar North MLA and former IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh from the party for five years. The decision, taken by the party's political affairs committee, cited alleged "anti-party activities" as the reason. A vocal critic of his own party's govt, Vijay Pratap had recently opposed the arrest of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on charges of laundering more than Rs 540 crore of drug money. The vigilance bureau on June 25 arrested Majithia after conducting a raid at his residence in Amritsar. Confirming the suspension of the MLA, who joined AAP in 2021 ahead of the 2022 assembly elections, AAP spokesperson Shashivir Sharma said that the action was taken due to his involvement in "anti-party activities". Following the announcement, Vijay Partap posted a verse of Gurbani on his X account, which translates to, "Kabir, from death everyone in the world is afraid; but to me, my mind feels bliss." Despite repeated attempts, the MLA could not be reached for comment. During the 2022 assembly elections, Kunwar Vijay secured 58,133 votes, more than the combined votes of SAD candidate Anil Joshi and Congress nominee Sunil Dutti, and pushing BJP's Sukhminder Singh Pintu to fourth position. Pawan Kumar, a close aide of Vijay Pratap, said that a large number of the MLA's followers and sympathisers gathered at his residence after the news broke. Kumar called the party's decision "unjust and excessively harsh". The former inspector general of police once headed the SIT probing the 2015 Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing incidents besides sacrilege cases in the state. Sources said that several aspirants are already lobbying for the Amritsar North ticket for the 2027 polls if Vijay Pratap isn't reinstated. A few AAP functionaries already approached senior party leaders on Sunday. There's also speculation that an opposition leader might join AAP and be positioned as Vijay Partap's replacement in the next election.
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Farmers block NH-16 demanding halt to forcible land acquisition for solar project in Nellore district
Vijayawada: An angry protest by the farmers of Karedu village in Ulavapadu mandal, Nellore district, brought traffic on National Highway-16 (Chennai-Kolkata) to a grinding halt on Sunday. The farmers have been demanding the immediate withdrawal of the forcible acquisition of their agricultural lands for setting up a private solar plant. About a thousand women, farmers, and tribal people from Karedu staged a half-hour road blockade on the highway, demanding a stop to the forced land acquisition and action against the Ulavapadu sub inspector for illegal arrests. As the protest escalated, Kandukur sub-collector Sripuja rushed to the spot and assured the farmers that the land acquisition process would be withheld following advice from the state government. The state government had issued a notification to acquire about 8,500 acres of land, mostly owned by SC, ST, and weaker sections in Karedu village. Meanwhile, the CPI (M) state committee strongly condemned the severe repression, intimidation, and illegal arrests of people protesting the forcible land acquisition for Indosol company. The committee demanded the immediate withdrawal of the land acquisition proposal by the state government. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo CPI(M) also demanded an investigation into the TDP, BJP and Janasena coalition, which had earlier labelled the proposed land allocation as a major scam during the previous YSRCP tenure. Speaking to the media on Sunday, CPI (M) state secretary V Srinivasa Rao questioned how the NDA government is facilitating land allocation to the same company it opposed while in opposition. He said people have formed a committee to fight against the forcible land acquisition for the solar company and launched a peaceful agitation. However, the government used the police force to suppress the agitators. He criticized the forcible acquisition of lands owned by Dalits, tribals, and other marginalized sections for Indosol, a subsidiary of Shirdi Sai Electricals. He condemned the arrest of protestors, including women, who called for a blockade of NH-16. "It is deplorable that the police arrested women for raising their voice against forcible acquisition," said Srinivasa Rao. Local farmers leader Miriyam Srinivasulu, CPI(M) leaders Talluri Malyadri, G. Venkateswarlu, G.V.B. Kumar, AAP Kandukuru constituency convener Neti Maheshwara Rao, AICC member Sunkara Padmashri, social activist Dr. K. Vasundhara, and 26 farmers from Karedu and Peddapallipalem were among those arrested by the police. The CPI (M) state committee demanded action against the sub inspector who mistreated Sunkara Padmasri and Neti Maheshwara Rao.
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Three-language policy implemented in Maha in haste, chaos lead to revocation: Educators
Pune: Several educators in the state on Sunday reiterated that govt's decision on the three-language policy announced earlier in June was taken in haste and without consultation with experts, leading to complete chaos that resulted in the resolution being revoked. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Many asserted that the widespread opposition to the policy was not against the Hindi language, but its introduction from Std I. On Sunday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of a committee to suggest the way forward in the implementation of the language policy and withdrew GRs issued in April and June this year, which had introduced Hindi learning as a must from a much younger age in school. In a reaction statement, the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal said, "There is hope he (Fadnavis) will continue to take decisions in the interest of Marathi in future, too." Mahendra Ganpule, former vice president, State Headmasters' Association, said, "There is no ill feeling against the third language or Hindi. But there was opposition to the wrong policy of implementing it from Std I without considering child psychology. We will present all our points in detail again before the committee and try to ensure that the right decision is taken in the interest of children." The parent of a Std III student from Kothrud, Shilpa Kulkarni, said Sunday's decision has put an end to ongoing confusion. "After schools resumed for the new academic year, we have only been discussing this issue. It was very difficult to handle the confusion and explain to our children whether the language subject has been incorporated. Now, we have clarity." The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and AAP Paalak Union issued a statement, saying, "There was no logical reason behind the insistence on imposing a third language in Std I when children already have the burden of English besides their mother tongue. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Govt issued this order surreptitiously through wordplay, without any insistence from parents or teachers. The public sentiment was that this was politics to undermine Marathi, the mother tongue in Maharashtra, by giving it secondary status and bringing Hindi forward as a transactional language, thus attacking diversity. " AAP's Mukund Kirdat said, "There was no reason to change the existing three-language formula starting at the secondary level. The opposition was not against Hindi or a third language but against its implementation from Std I." Chief coordinator of Shikshan Vikas Manch, Madhav Suryawanshi, said, "While CM has announced cancellation of the GR, considering past experience, we cannot trust this declaration till a notification is issued. Earlier, despite CM and the education minister publicly stating that three languages would not be made compulsory from Std I, govt still implemented the same decision. Until an order is issued stating that the decision stands cancelled, govt's stance cannot be trusted. Govt should issue that order." Pune: Several educators in the state on Sunday reiterated that govt's decision on the three-language policy announced earlier in June was taken in haste and without consultation with experts, leading to complete chaos that resulted in the resolution being revoked. Many asserted that the widespread opposition to the policy was not against the Hindi language, but its introduction from Std I. On Sunday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of a committee to suggest the way forward in the implementation of the language policy and withdrew GRs issued in April and June this year, which had introduced Hindi learning as a must from a much younger age in school. In a reaction statement, the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal said, "There is hope he (Fadnavis) will continue to take decisions in the interest of Marathi in future, too." Mahendra Ganpule, former vice president, State Headmasters' Association, said, "There is no ill feeling against the third language or Hindi. But there was opposition to the wrong policy of implementing it from Std I without considering child psychology. We will present all our points in detail again before the committee and try to ensure that the right decision is taken in the interest of children." The parent of a Std III student from Kothrud, Shilpa Kulkarni, said Sunday's decision has put an end to ongoing confusion. "After schools resumed for the new academic year, we have only been discussing this issue. It was very difficult to handle the confusion and explain to our children whether the language subject has been incorporated. Now, we have clarity." The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and AAP Paalak Union issued a statement, saying, "There was no logical reason behind the insistence on imposing a third language in Std I when children already have the burden of English besides their mother tongue. Govt issued this order surreptitiously through wordplay, without any insistence from parents or teachers. The public sentiment was that this was politics to undermine Marathi, the mother tongue in Maharashtra, by giving it secondary status and bringing Hindi forward as a transactional language, thus attacking diversity. " AAP's Mukund Kirdat said, "There was no reason to change the existing three-language formula starting at the secondary level. The opposition was not against Hindi or a third language but against its implementation from Std I." Chief coordinator of Shikshan Vikas Manch, Madhav Suryawanshi, said, "While CM has announced cancellation of the GR, considering past experience, we cannot trust this declaration till a notification is issued. Earlier, despite CM and the education minister publicly stating that three languages would not be made compulsory from Std I, govt still implemented the same decision. Until an order is issued stating that the decision stands cancelled, govt's stance cannot be trusted. Govt should issue that order."
