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9th Cabinet rejig in 4 years of AAP govt: Ahead of civic polls, CM gives Local Bodies portfolio to Sanjeev Arora

Sanjeev Arora has become the fifth Local Bodies Minister in less than four years of AAP rule. AAP government will complete four years in March 2026.

4 min readChandigarhJan 9, 2026 07:51 PM IST

Sanjeev Arora already holds three other important departments — Industries, Investment Promotion and Power. (File Photo)

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Thursday divested his Cabinet colleague Dr Ravjot of the Local Bodies portfolio and handed it to another colleague Sanjeev Arora, who already holds three other important departments — Industries, Investment Promotion and Power.

Arora’s NRI Affairs portfolio has been handed over to Dr Ravjot, who also has the Parliamentary Affairs. It is the ninth rejig by the CM Mann in government’s regime of four years. Arora, who is considered a “powerful” minister was responsible for the three rejigs in less than one year. He was inducted in July 3,2025 in the seventh rejig. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal was dropped and Sanjeev Arora was inducted. He was given the NRIs Affairs, Industries and Commerce and also Investment Promotion.

Arora new responsibility of Local Bodies comes ahead of the government’s plan to hold municipal elections in the state in February. Delimitation and demarcation of wards is already going on. With Arora in saddle, he will be taking important decisions affecting all MLAs and constituency incharges of AAP in all Assembly segments.

On August 18, 2025, he was also handed over the Power Department after Mann withdrew the department from ETO, who faced accusations of collecting party funds by Power Engineers. With NRI Affairs given to Dr Ravjot, Arora’s number of departments remains four.

Arora is the fifth Local Bodies Minister of the AAP government.

Earlier, the department was with the CM himself. It was handed over to Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar on July 5, 2022. Later, on May 31,2023, Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar was dropped from the cabinet. Balkar Singh and Gurmeet Singh Khuddian were sworn in as cabinet ministers and Balkar Singh was given the Local Bodies.

Later, Balkar Singh was also dropped and the department was given to Dr Ravjot on September 24, 2024.

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Sanjeev Arora has become the fifth Local Bodies Minister in less than four years of AAP rule. AAP government will complete four years in March 2026.

Sources said that with Arora given all important portfolios, he will be having a lot of work at hand. The government is also organising an investment summit this year. Arora had accompanies CM Mann to Japan and South Korea recently to invite investors. Also, 2026 is a year penultimate to the elections next year. Local Bodies department will have to roll out several development projects in cities to woo voters. “Dr Ravjot was doing his bit. He was considered a slow and steady minister. Handing over his portfolio to Arora indicates he has been lent more power,” said a source.

He added that Arora, who was not given the post of Deputy Chief Minister was being made more powerful by handing him more departments.

Arora was sworn in as the new MLA from Ludhiana West in July, following a decisive victory in the recently concluded bypoll. Arora defeated Congress heavyweight Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a margin of 10,637 votes, helping AAP to have a hold over the urban constituency, six months after it was vacated by AAP MLA, Gurpreet Singh Gogi.

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Arora secured 35,179 votes, increasing AAP’s vote share to 39.02%, an improvement of more than 4% over the party’s 2022 performance. The by-election was necessitated following the death of former MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January.

Before entering politics, Arora was a well known figure in business and philanthropy. He heads Ritesh Industries Ltd, a textile export firm, and Hampton Sky Realty Ltd. He also founded Femella Fashions, a women’s apparel brand, and Teneron Ltd, a manufacturing unit supplying non-ferrous alloys to firms like Suzuki.

In 2005, he established the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust in memory of his parents, both of whom succumbed to cancer. The trust has since supported hundreds of patients, while Arora has also contributed extensively to COVID-19 relief efforts and medical institutions like Dayanand Medical College.

Kanchan Vasdev

Kanchan Vasdev is a Senior Assistant Editor in The Indian Express’ Punjab bureau. She is a highly experienced journalist with 22 years of expertise covering high-stakes politics, governance, and social issues in Northern India. Professional Background Role: Primary reporter covering the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), government policies, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in the state. Experience: She previously worked with The Tribune and has played a key role in launching various city editions. Special Projects: Abandoned Brides: Authored a monograph on brides abandoned by NRIs as part of the Prabha Dutt Memorial Fellowship. Environment: Worked as a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) fellow, focusing on the pollution levels in the Satluj river. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting focuses on the legislative strategies and political maneuvers of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government: 1. Legislative & Governance Standoffs "Punjab govt advances special Assembly session to pass resolution against VB-G RAM G Bill" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the state's move to block the Centre's "Viksit Bharat" mission, which the state claims will undermine MGNREGA. "Punjab govt doubles down on special sessions, sixth in January" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing the AAP government's use of special sessions as a legislative tool amid tensions with the Governor. "Punjab asks 'VIP teachers' working near Chandigarh to go back to border districts" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on CM Mann's move to end the practice of influential teachers avoiding postings in remote areas. 2. Political Analysis & Rural Polls "Punjab rural polls: Why Akalis are likened to dinosaurs in Punjab" (Dec 19, 2025): Analyzing CM Bhagwant Mann's rhetoric against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) following local body elections. "AAP claims win in 78% Punjab zila parishads as counting continues" (Dec 18, 2025): Breaking down the results of the 2025 rural elections. "Rahul Gandhi and Sidhu alike, says Bhagwant Mann" (Dec 13, 2025): Covering the CM's critique of the Congress leadership. 3. Law Enforcement & Bureaucracy "Suspended Punjab IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal awaits reinstatement" (Dec 10, 2025): Investigative reporting on the bureaucratic red tape involving the Election Commission and the state government. "Punjab declines to give parole to Amritpal Singh" (Nov 27, 2025): Detailing the state government's refusal to grant parole to the radical preacher and sitting MP. 4. Welfare & Economy "Punjab government's plan to add more freebies to 'atta-dal' scheme hits funds roadblock" (Dec 4, 2024): An analysis of the fiscal challenges facing the state's flagship food security program. "Mann leads Punjab delegation to Japan and South Korea for investor outreach" (Dec 2, 2025). Signature Beat Kanchan Vasdev is known for her insider access to Punjab's political executive. Her writing provides deep insights into how state policies are formulated and the friction points between the state government and central authorities. Her dual expertise in environment and law allows her to report on complex issues like the "Farmhouse Policy" (Dec 18, 2025) and river pollution with a unique policy-oriented lens. X (Twitter): @kanchan99 ... Read More

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