Captain Amrinder Singh takes Oath as the 26th Chief Minister of Punjab

Chandigarh: Captain Amrinder Singh was sworn in as the 26th Chief Minister of Punjab on Thursday as the Congress formed the government in the state. He along with cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu and 8 other ministers took the oath of office and secrecy which was administered by Governor VP Singh Badnaur.

Singh has won the 2017 state assembly elections from Patiyala constituency of the state.

Singh is the first one, in the history of Congress party, to be appointed as the CM of Punjab for the second time. The state has never been ruled by the same person for another time before 2017. He has, earlier, served as the CM during 2002 to 2007.

It could be mentioned that Congress has come to power in the state after 10 years. The party won 77 seats out of the total 117 in the 2017 assembly elections.

The state permits the appointment of as many as 18 ministers in the government and 9 out those have been apointed but the ministries have not be allotted to them yet. It was being speculated, earlier, that Sidhu could be appointed as the deputy CM of the state.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also marked their presence in the swearing-in ceremony of the ministers.

Punjab has been served by five Congress CMs since the day it was re-cofihured as a state in 1996.

In slide ahead: Other ministers of the Punjab government...

Cabinet Ministers:

• Bramha Mahendra: Health
• Navjot Singh Sidhu: Local Bodies
• Manpreet Singh Badal:
• Sadhu Singh Dharmsot
• Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa
• Charanjeet Singh Channi

Ministers of State (Independent Charge):

• Aruna Chaudhary: Education
• Raziya Sultana: PWD

In slides: List of the CMs who have ruled the state...

Chief Ministers before Punjab's separation with Haryana...

• Gopi Chand Bhargava
• Bhim Sen Sachar
• Bhim Sen Sachar
• The seat was vacant from 20 June 1951 to 17 April 1952 as the state was under President's rule.
• Bhim Sen Sachar
• Partap Singh Kairon
• Gopi Chand Bhargava
• Ram Kishan
• The seat was vacant from 5 July 1966 to 1 November 1966 as the state was under President's rule.

CMs of Punjab after it was re-configured...

• Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir
• Gurnam Singh
• Lachhman Singh Gill
• The seat was vacant from 23 August 1968 to 17 February 1969 as the state was under President's rule.
• Gurnam Singh
• Parkash Singh Badal
• The seat was vacant from 14 June 1971 to 17 March 1972 as the state was under President's rule.
• Zail Singh
• The seat was vacant from 30 April 1977 to 20 June 1977 as the state was under President's rule.
• Parkash Singh Badal
• The seat was vacant from 17 February 1980 to 6 June 1980 as the state was under President's rule.
• Darbara Singh
• The seat was vacant from 10 October 1983 to 29 September 1985 as the state was under President's rule.
• Surjit Singh Barnala
• The seat was vacant from 11 June 1987 to 25 February1992 as the state was under President's rule.
• Beant Singh
• Harcharan Singh Brar
• Rajinder Kaur Bhattal
• Parkash Singh Badal
• Amarinder Singh
• Parkash Singh Badal
• Amarinder Singh