Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 15

Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh would be among the prominent leaders of the Congress, besides party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who would attend the swearing-in ceremony of Capt Amarinder Singh and nine ministers here tomorrow.Capt Amarinder will take oath as Punjab Chief Minister at dot 10.17 am on the advice of an astrologer, it is learnt.Governor VP Singh Badnore would also administer oath (in order of seniority) to Brahm Mohindra, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Singh Badal, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Rana Gurjit Singh, Charanjit Singh Channi, Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana. The two women would be ministers of state with independent charge.Rana KP Singh is likely to be the Speaker.Meanwhile, to stem murmurs of annoyance over being denied a Cabinet berth, top Congress leaders have conveyed to the party hopefuls that more MLAs would be adjusted in the second phase of induction. There are a total of 18 cabinet ministerial berths, including the CM.“If young faces with a clean image were fielded to counter AAP,  those who won should also be inducted,” said a two-time young MLA from Majha.Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh, former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and a host of senior Congress leaders are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony — which on the directions of Capt Amarinder Singh is to be a low-key affair, “on account of the poor financial health of the state”. Balwant Singh Ramoowalia would represent the outgoing Akhilesh Yadav government in UP.Meanwhile, the first session of the new Vidhan Sabha is likely to be convened on March 24 primarily to pass the vote-on-account. The regular session to pass the Budget will be called in May, sources said.CM-designate visits ailing mother in PGI Chandigarh: Chief Minister-designate Capt Amarinder Singh visited his ailing mother, Rajmata Mohinder Kaur, at the PGI here on Wednesday. He arrived at 3 pm and spent half an hour with his 95-year-old mother. She was shifted to a private room from the emergency ward. Capt Amarinder told the media that her condition was stable, though she continued to be under observation. Capt Amarinder also discussed her health with doctors attending to her. Doctors later said Rajmata was admitted here following GI (gastrointestinal) bleeding, but was much better. She was expected to be discharged once the some tests were completed, they added. tns

Capt takes oath today, no deputy CM, Brahm Mohindra to be No. 2

Guv to administer oath to 7 cabinet ministers, 2 ministers of state; Sidhu to be number 3, tipped to become urban development minister

CHANDIGARH/PATIALA: Captain Amarinder Singh, who led the Congress to a stellar win in the assembly elections, will be sworn in as the state’s 26th chief minister here on Thursday in a simple ceremony along with nine ministers.

The oath of office will be administered by Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore at the Raj Bhawan.

The constitutional cap of 15% ministers in the 117 –member House allows the new Congress government to induct a maximum of 18 Cabinet members, including the chief minister.

Ending speculation, the Congress has decided not to appoint any deputy chief minister. “The credit of victory entirely goes to Amarinder, so the high command has decided not to have the deputy CM post as it will create confusion,” said an AICC office-bearer.

According to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee’s letter (accessed by HT) to the Raj Bhawan, seven cabinet ministers and two ministers of state will be administered the oath of office along with the CM.

In the pecking order, six-time MLA Brahm Mohindra will be sworn in after Amarinder followed by Navjot Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Singh Badal, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Tripat Rajinder Bajwa, Rana Gurjit Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi. The two MoS with independent charge will be Aruna Chaudhary, a Dalit face from Majha and Malerkotla MLA Razia Sultana.

Though Congress sources said the portfolios have not been decided, it is learnt that Sidhu has been offered the ministry of local bodies and urban development. Sources close to Sidhu said the former cricketer has made no demands.

“He is willing to take whatever responsibility the party is willing to give him,” said a close aide of Amritsar East MLA.

Bathinda Urban MLA Manpreet Badal is tipped to be the finance minister while four-time MLA Tripat Bajwa is likely to get charge of the public works department. Brahm Mohindra is expected to get the charge of the power department.

Though Amarinder’s confidant Rana Gurjit Singh is keen on excise and industry portfolios, that would invite allegations of conflict of interest.

Other than Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot would be present at the swearing-in.

Other Congress leaders who will attend the event are former Union ministers Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Ashwani Kumar and Rajeev Shukla besides AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari and secretary in-charge Harish Chaudhary.

THE PECKING ORDER

fter Amarinder Singh, six-time MLA Brahm Mohindra will take the oath followed by Amritsar East MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu

STAR CYCLE

The swearing-in will start at 10.15 am and Amarinder will take oath between 10.16am and 10.28am as it is a ‘shubh mahurat’ for the Patiala royal scion. The new cabinet will meet at 11.30am and will discuss the formation of a special task force to tackle the drug menace.

Formidable six-pack set to make presence felt in House

FEW BUT FEISTY Women are 47% of Punjab’s electorate, but only six of them have made to the 15th Vidhan Sabha. That’s the lowest representation of women in the last five assemblies since seven in 1997. Among the six women in the 117­member House are four f

THE POWER OF ONE RUPINDER K RUBY, 28 AAP, Bathinda Rural

Rupinder Kaur Ruby believes, “Aawaaz uthaan de layee ik banda hi kaafi hai (One person is enough to make a point).” The youngest woman MLA in the Punjab assembly plans to be that one voice. That is why the poor representation of women in the House doesn’t worry her. This law graduate, who was doing her PhD, is a past master at battling obstacles. This firsttimer won the Bathinda Rural seat despite having the most meagre bank balance among the contesting candidates.

Ruby, who draws inspiration from her father Malkiat Singh, a retired government servant who is a founding member of the AAP, claims she did not have to spend a paisa “because the people fought the elections for me”. She believes woman emancipation and education are intertwined. “Financial independence is a must for every woman, and for that she needs education. Then she doesn’t need anyone.”

Ruby, former assistant professor at a Bathinda law college, is determined to put her most fierce foot forward in the assembly. “I will make Congress deliver on its promises.” By the way: Determined to complete her PhD

ARMED WITH LESSONS SARAVJIT K MANUKE, 44 AAP, Jagraon

It’s been a traumatic run-up to the hustings for this teacher-turned-politician. “I was robbed of the most precious part of my life,” says Saravjit, who lost both her mother and motherin-law in a span of few days after she met with a serious accident that killed one of her supporters traveling with her late January.

“I was heartbroken but my mission was bigger than me,” says Saravjit, who declares that she has not joined politics but an andolan (movement). “We have given new hope to people and we won’t let them down,” says the feisty teacher. This is why she poohpoohs any talk about being outnumbered by men or the ruling party in the assembly. “Iraada buland hona chahiye (Your intentions should be strong).”

Saravjit is determined to work for revamping the education system. “Do you know there are no washrooms in 70% of the schools in my constituency? How can you talk of women empowerment when girls drop out of schools due to such reasons?”

This first-time legislator has already launched her Mission Education by shooting off a memo seeking a redressal forum for both parents and teachers, and rollback of the hike in tuition fee. By the way: Mai Bhago and Mata Gujri are her role models

A DREAM COME TRUE BALJINDER KAUR, 31 AAP, Talwandi Sabo

A politician. That’s all she wanted to become even as a schoolgirl. “I didn’t know how I would do that, but it was a very deep-seated desire,” smiles Baljinder. Now that her dream has been realised, she says, “I will make sure that har gali, har ghar, har varg di aawaaz Vidhan Sabha tak pahunche (every street, house, section of society must be heard in the assembly).”

No, she doesn’t feel intimidated by the overwhelming majority of men in the house. She has two younger brothers who look up to her. “I won’t say they are scared of me, but they respect me,” she laughs. With an MA in English and MPhil under her belt, Baljnder was teaching at Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib, when politics beckoned in the form of AAP, and she quit her job.

Today this workaholic—she says she hates being idle — is happy to play her dream role. “It’s a big responsibility that the people of Talwandi Sabo have given me, I will do my best.” Women, she says, can’t be treated in a silo. Be it corruption, drugs or unemployment, it affects every woman directly or indirectly. By the way: Loves dancing the giddha

AT HOME IN ASSEMBLY ARUNA CHAUDHARY , 59 Congress, Dinanagar

The three-time MLA doesn’t think her gender is a handicap in the assembly. “It doesn’t matter,” she shrugs. “You can do a lot to ensure that the issues of your constituency are resolved by approaching the minister concerned,” she declares. What is a handicap is being out of power. “It’s tough when you are in the opposition as the MLAs depend on grants from the government,” Aruna explains.

With her party back in the saddle, she is looking forward to bringing employment to women in Dinanagar. “Jobs are scarce, so we have to train them in other fields,” says the legislator who won by the sixth highest margin. A teacher by training, Aruna says she made sure her two sons focused on education. “Even though ours is a family of politicians, I made it clear that they had to earn their own keep”. Today her elder son is studying dentistry in the US, while the younger is working for an MNC.

Aruna, who did her graduation and BEd from Srinagar, is also concerned about terrorism and drugs. “Look what happened in the Valley, we have to be careful.” By the way: An expert in Kashmiri cuisine, she paints too

THIS MOM MEANS BUSINESS SATKAR KAUR, 37 Congress, Ferozepur Rural

“Hun aa gaye haan, te raula rappa pavange. (Now that I am here, I will make noise).” The soft-spoken woman, who defeated her nearest rival by 21,500 votes, says she means business. Satkar, who lost the 2012 polls by a wafer-thin margin, is all too aware of the responsibility that comes with being the first woman legislator from Ferozepur.

“There has been no development here for the past 10 years. There is no industry here, sewerage stinks, drugs are rampant, and women bear the brunt of it all,” says Satkar, who took the zila parishad route to politics in 2007, six years after she married into a family of politicians. No, she doesn’t think she will be unsettled by a maledominated assembly. “My husband Jasmel Singh Ladi,” she says, “has always encouraged me. I can handle men.”

With the assembly session few days away, she’s all ready with her to-do list for her constituency. “We need a college for women, sewing centres in 210 villages for women who want to work from home, a functional sewerage, new industry,” Satkar reels on, telling you how she is no rubberstamp. “Vadiya kam karaange (We will do good work),” she signs off.

By the way: Spends at least an hour a day with her 3 children, youngest of whom is in kindergarten

A HOPEFUL HOMECOMING RAZIA SULTANA, 50 Congress, Malerkotla

The three-time MLA agrees it would have been nicer had there been more women MLAs. “I don’t think there is any bias against women, but people choose who they think is the best for them. The reasons vary from one constituency to another,” she shrugs.

Razia Sultana, daughter of an armyman and wife of a serving cop, is eagerly looking forward to this term. “We’ve promised to make Malerkotla a district. That will transform it completely.” She is also keen on getting a medical college for her constituency. As for women, she says many of them want pension, which she will make sure they get soon.

A mother of two — a daughter and a son — Razia enjoys her role as a homemaker. “No matter what, I take a quick round of the house and make sure everything is spick and span before I do anything else,” she smiles. She also likes to cook for her family.

Coming back to politics, she has just one wish, “Sab theek thaak chale. Hum apne vaade poore kar paayein (Everything should go well. We should be able to keep our promises).”

By the way: Known for her kebabs