Ahead of swearing-in as the next chief minister of Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhagwant Mann on Saturday removed the security cover of 122 former MLAs, including Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. Some of the names whose security cover has been lifted, are Manpreet Singh Badal, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Razia Sultana, Pargat Singh, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Sanjay Talwar, Nathu Ram, Darshan Lal, Dharambir Agnihotri, Arun Narang, Tarlochan Singh, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, and Navjot Singh Sidhu. Meanwhile, Mann has appointed Venu Prasad as his Principal Secretary. Prasad is an IAS officer from the 1991 batch.Mann also met Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday to stake claim to form the government in the state. Mann was elected as the AAP Legislature Party leader at a meeting of the party MLAs in Mohali on Friday. AAP Punjab in-charge Raghav Chadha also accompanied Mann to the Governor house. He said, “I met governor and handed over letter of support from our MLAs & staked claim to form government. He told me to tell him wherever we want to hold swearing-in ceremony. It’ll be held at the native village of Bhagat Singh, Khatkar Kalan at 12.30 pm on March 16,” and added, “People from houses across Punjab will come to the ceremony, they will also pay tribute to Bhagat Singh. We will have a good cabinet, historic decisions, that were never made before, will be made. So, you will have to wait.” Names of several MLAs, including Harpal Singh Cheema, Aman Arora, Baljinder Kaur, Saravjit Kaur Manuke, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Budh Ram, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Jeevanjyot Kaur and Dr Charanjit Singh, are doing the rounds for ministerial positions.
