Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister-designate Bhagwant Mann staked claim to form the next government in the state, while the Punjab police withdrew nearly 400 personnel providing security to 122 former MLAs, including former state cabinet ministers. However, security cover provided on court directions or on the basis of protectees’ threat perceptions will continue.
“I met the governor, handed over a letter of support from our MLAs and staked claim… He accepted it and asked me wherever (sic) we wanted to hold the swearing in ceremony. It will be held at the native village of Bhagat Singh, Khatkar Kalan, on March 16,” he told reporters. Mann invited the people of the state to the function. Asked about his cabinet, Mann said that the council of ministers would take historic decisions that had not been taken so far. “But you will have to wait a bit for that,” he said.
The most - 21 police commandos - were withdrawn from former transport minister Amrinder Singh Raja Warring’s security, followed by 19 from former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, 17 from former education minister Pargat Singh, and 16 from former food and supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu. Fifteen security personnel have been called back from covering former agriculture minister Randeep Singh Nabha and former forests minister SangatSingh Gilzian.
Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who had a security detail of seven personnel, will also have to do without them from now. Prominent among BJP and SAD leaders whose security cover will be taken away are Daljit Singh Cheema, Tota Singh, Sikandar Singh Maluka, Chunni Lal Bhaga, Manoranjan Kalia, Anil Joshi, Dinesh Babbu, Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, and former MLAs Sharanjit Dhillon and Pawan Kumar Tinu.
Mann was unanimously elected AAP Legislature Party leader at a meeting of party MLAs on Friday and has handed over a letter of support from all the other 91 newly-elected AAP MLAs to the governor.
