Punjab

Though the reason for calling the session has not been officially announced, officials admit it is to stake claim for Chandigarh, the joint capital of both states. A cabinet meeting was held on Sunday under the Chairmanship of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. It was decided in the meeting that a special session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha will be called on April 5 at 11 a.m., an official statement said.

Reacting strongly to the announcement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to bring Chandigarh union territory employees under Central civil services rules, the SAD said, "It is incumbent on the AAP government to make the Centre understand that Chandigarh is a union territory as per an ad-hoc arrangement only.

Bhagwant Mann has replaced Charanjit Singh Channi as Punjab CM. The oath ceremony of the new CM and government was held in Khatkar Kalan on March 16. Bhagwant Mann started off his career as a comedian and became popular after competing in the Great Indian Laughter Challenge on Star Plus in 2006. Mann started his political career in 2011 with Manpreet Singh Badal's political party- People's Party of Punjab and later joined AAP in 2014. He contested from Dhuri in the 2022 Assembly elections where Sidhu was in the opposition party. 

Mann would hold the portfolios of Administrative Reforms, Civil Aviation, General Administration, Home Affairs and Justice, Personnel, Vigilance, Housing and Urban Development, Local Government, Industries and Commerce, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Horticulture, Conservation of Land and Water, Food Processing, among others.

Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, AAP's Punjab affairs co-in-charge Raghav Chadha, party's election strategist in Punjab, Sandeep Pathak, Lovely Professional University (LPU) Chancellor Ashok Kumar Mittal and Ludhiana's eminent industrialist Sanjeev Arora filed nomination for the Rajya Sabha seats from AAP in the Punjab legislative Assembly.

Kejriwal, attending the meeting through video conferencing, briefed the MLAs on the party's objectives and working methods. He said that after winning elections in four states, BJP's new Chief Ministers haven't taken oath, let alone do any work of the people. On many senior MLAs not becoming ministers, Kejriwal said that those MLAs who are not given ministerial berths should not underestimate themselves.

Thet are Harpal Cheema (Dirba), Baljit Kaur (Malout), Harbhajan Singh (Jandiala), Vijay Singla (Mansa), Lal Chand Kataruchak (Bhoa), Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer (Barnala), Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal (Ajnala), Laljit Singh Bhullar (Patti), Brahm Shankar (Hoshiarpur), and Harjot Singh Bains (Anandpur Sahib). Against 17 vacancies in the Cabinet, the party is inducting 10 ministers.

Former Leader of the Opposition and a prominent Dalit face Harpal Singh Cheema may be inducted as the deputy chief minister. Cheema retained his Dirba seat. The other probables in the Cabinet are Aman Arora, Kultar Sandhwan, Harjot Bains, Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, Baljinder Kaur, Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Neena Mittal and Kunwar Vijay Pratap.

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh may be the Rajya Sabha candidate from Aam Aadmi Party from Punjab this year. The AAP will have five seats in the Rajya Sabha by the end of this month. A source in the party said that name of India off spinner Harbhajan Singh is in the list of Rajya Sabha candidates from Punjab. The source said that the newly formed Punjab government has started fulfilling the promises made by party during the poll campaign.

Punjab's 28th Chief Minister entered the secretariat premises in an atmosphere of festivity with rousing welcome by employees standing around and in balconies. Mann was given a guard of honour from the 82nd Battalion of the Punjab Police at the secretariat. Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari and DGP V.K. Bhawra along with senior IAS officers welcomed the Chief Minister by presenting bouquets.