The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is set to expand its cabinet today, Thursday, July 3. This will be the seventh cabinet expansion in the three years of the government’s tenure. During this expansion, a reshuffling of departments among some ministers is also likely. Newly elected MLA from Ludhiana West, Sanjeev Arora, is expected to be inducted into the cabinet. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 1 PM at the Raj Bhavan.
Cabinet Can Have 18 Ministers Including the Chief Minister
The inclusion of Sanjeev Arora, the newly elected MLA from Ludhiana West, in the cabinet is almost confirmed. He is likely to be assigned the Housing Department or Industries portfolio. However, it remains unclear whether the government will induct any other new leaders in this expansion. In Punjab, the cabinet can have up to 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister.
Ceremony Was Delayed Due to Governor’s Absence
Even before he was elected MLA, Sanjeev Arora’s inclusion in the cabinet was considered certain. During the campaign for Arora’s election, AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal had announced that if people made Arora an MLA, the party would make him a minister.
On July 1, Arora resigned from his Rajya Sabha membership. The swearing-in ceremony could have been held earlier, but at that time, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria was on a visit to Udaipur. He has now returned to Chandigarh, and the ceremony has been scheduled for 1 PM on Thursday.
Sanjeev Arora Won Ludhiana West Bypoll
In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, Gurpreet Singh Gogi was elected as MLA from Ludhiana West. However, in January 2025, he died at home after a bullet was fired from his own pistol. Following his death, the seat fell vacant. The Election Commission then held a by-election in June to fill the vacancy.
For this by-election, AAP fielded Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora as its candidate. During the campaign, both Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal promised the public that Arora would be made a minister if elected as MLA. Following this, Arora received overwhelming support from voters and won the election by a margin of 10,637 votes. He secured 43.34% more votes than his rival, Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
Arora Resigned From Rajya Sabha After Victory
After winning the by-election, Sanjeev Arora submitted his resignation from the Rajya Sabha. On Tuesday, he met Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar—who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha—at his residence in New Delhi and personally handed over his resignation.
With Arora’s resignation, one seat in the Rajya Sabha from AAP has fallen vacant. This has sparked political speculation that AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal may consider entering the Rajya Sabha using this opportunity.