Kinship rules Badal cabinet
The new Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has four relatives in his 18-member cabinet. For starters the key finance portfolio has gone to the CM's nephew Manpreet Badal who edged out heavyweights like Kanwaljeet Singh, a former finance minister.
While nobody in the Akali Dal dares to question Badal, the opposition Congress is certainly not letting him off lightly.
"Badal has kept all important portfolios with himself. Had there been no pressure from the BJP they could have kept it all within his family," said Rajpal Singh, Spokesperson, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee.
Key portfolios
It is virtually a kitchen cabinet where decisions can be taken in Badal's own home.
Badal's son-in-law Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon will takeover food and civil supplies and Bikram Singh Majithia, the 31-year-old first timer whose sister is Badal's daughter-in-law will get public relation and IT department.Even distant relative Janmeja Singh Sekhon has bagged the Irrigation portfolio. The Akali Dal's ally BJP is annoyed but has no choice but to be diplomatic.
"Allocation of portfolios is the prerogative of the Chief Minister. This is an internal matter of the Akali Dal. The BJP cannot interfere in it," said Rajendra Bhandari, Spokesperson, BJP.The kinship factor has won and the seniority issue, quite clearly, has been set aside.

Portfolios of Punjab ministers

Parkash Singh Badal
Chief Minister Personnel, general administration, home affairs and justice, housing and urban development,
vigilance, excise and taxation, power, employment, legal and legislative affairs and NRI affairs.

Manoranjan Kalia

Local government, industries and commerce

Ranjit Singh Brahmpura

Rural development and panchayats, elections

Capt Kanwaljit Singh

Cooperation, defence service welfare, removal of grievances,
pensions and welfare of pensioners wing of the finance department

Manpreet Singh Badal

Finance and planning, programme implementation

Tikshan Sood

Parliamentary affairs, medical education and research,
forests and wildlife preservation wing of the agriculture department and labour

Upinderjit Kaur

Education and civil aviation

Adesh Partap Singh

Food civil supplies, consumer affairs and information technology

Luxmi Kanta Chawla

Health and family welfare

Ajit Singh Kohar

Revenue, rehabilitation and disaster management

Master Mohan Lal

Transport

Gulzar Singh Ranike

Animal husbandry and fisheries, dairy development and welfare of SCs and BCs and
Sports and youth services

Parminder Singh Dhindsa

PWD B and R

Swarna Ram

Technical education and industrial training and social security and
Development of women and children

Sucha Singh Langah

Agriculture

Janmeja Singh Sekhon

Irrigation

Hira Singh Gabria

Jails wing of home department, tourism and cultural affairs and printing and stationery

Bikramjit Singh Majithia

Water supply and sanitation, information & public relations and science technology,
Environment and non-conventional energy