Amarinder's Cabinet conundrum

Congress' Chief Minister-designate for Punjab wants to get caste-religion-region combination right

Congress’ Chief Minister-designate for Punjab, Amarinder Singh (pictured), is finding it difficult to choose his Cabinet ministers. He wants to get the caste-religion-region combination right and is under pressure to induct Assembly members, who have won their seats several times in the past and wield strong influence in their respective constituencies. Initially, Singh would pick seven to eight ministers instead of the maximum 18. He has also announced some austerity measures, including asking would-be Assembly members to cut their guest lists for the swearing-in ceremony to reduce cost.