Capt Amarinder Takes Charge in Punjab, Sidhu Gets Tourism Ministry

Amarinder Singh admitted Navjot Singh Sidhu’s performance in the recent Punjab elections was impressive.

• Navjot Singh Sidhu gets local government and tourism ministries
  
• Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh took oath as Punjab CM in a ceremony at Raj Bhavan
  
• Nine other Congress leaders, including Sidhu, took oath as cabinet ministers
  
• Singh became Punjab chief minister for the second time after 2007
  
• Amarinder Singh led the Congress to victory in Punjab after a gap of 10 years, bagging 77 of 117 seats
  

Navjot Singh Sidhu, Nine Other Ministers Handed Portfolios in Punjab Cabinet

Navjot Singh Sidhu has been handed the Local Government, Tourism and Cultural Affairs, and Archives and Museums portfolios in the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government.

However, CNNNews18 reports that Sidhu is unhappy with the development. As per speculation, Sidhu had been angling for the Deputy Chief Minister’s office.

Other important leaders inducted on Thursday include Manpreet Badal –the estranged nephew of outgoing Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal– who will handle the portfolios of Planning and Employment Generation.

Captain Amarinder Takes Charge

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh took charge of his office at the Punjab Secretariat on Thursday amid recitation of multi-religious prayers.

The second-floor office of Punjab's 26th chief minister reverberated with the chanting of sacred hymns from the Bhagwad Gita, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Quran and the Bible as he entered it along with several of his newly inducted ministerial colleagues, MLAs and associates.

This is the second time that Amarinder occupies the Punjab chief minister's office. He had earlier been the chief minister of the state from 2002 to 2007.

Captain Amarinder Singh's Wax Statue Unveiled in Ludhiana

A wax statue of Captain Amarinder Singh, who took oath as Punjab’s Chief Minister on Thursday for the second time, was unveiled at Ludhiana. The wax statute took three months to be completed and is meant to be a tribute to the Captain for his good deeds.

Amarinder Singh Takes Oath, Nine Ministers Inducted

Amarinder Singh was sworn in as Punjab chief minister on Thursday. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor VP Singh Badnore at an impressive ceremony at the Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh.

Amarinder, a former Army captain, took the oath in English.

Nine ministers, including two women, were also inducted.

The ministers inducted included Brahm Mohindra, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Badal, Charanjit Singh Channi, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa.

The two women inducted are Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana. Both will be ministers of state with independent charge.

Top Congress leaders, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, attended the ceremony.