Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on September 23 removed his Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Onkar Singh, a day after he dropped four of his ministers, with sources saying he may axe more ministerial colleagues as part of a major cabinet reshuffle.
The reasons for Singh’s removal, a close friend who was with Mann for over two years, is unclear. The OSD’s role in critical as the official handles the chief minister’s day-to-day affairs while offering counsel on important matters.
Mann, who has faced increased scrutiny over his style of functioning, is set to induct five new faces in his ministerial team, sources said.
The new ministers are expected to take oath of office at 5 pm at the Raj Bhawan today. The reshuffle has been long overdue and was expected right after the Lok Sabha elections but was delayed due to the Jalandhar by-poll. The timing of this overhaul, ahead of the Haryana assembly elections on October 5 and ahead of the panchayat polls in the state, has caught many by surprise.
According to sources, Barinder Kumar Goyal, Dr Ravijot, Taranpreet Singh Saund, Mahinder Bhagat and Hardeep Singh Mundia will be inducted into the Punjab Cabinet, while Chetan Singh Jodamajra, Brah Shankar Jimpa, Balkar Singh and Anmol Gagan Mann are all set to step down as ministers.
The reshuffle is largely performance-driven, sources said. The decision to drop some ministers was based on their "poor performance and feedback from their constituencies".
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