Amarinder Singh, who led the Congress to victory in Punjab after a gap of 10 years, will take oath as the state's 26th Chief Minister here on Thursday morning in a simple ceremony, which party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is also expected to attend.
Singh, who turned 75 on March 11, the day state assembly results were declared is likely to induct nine ministers initially, party sources said adding that the cabinet would be expanded later. The state can have a maximum of 18 ministers. The Congress has 77 MLAs in the assembly. Singh and members of his cabinet will be administered oath by Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore at the Raj Bhawan. The chief minister-designate has decided to go in for a simple swearing-in ceremony as an austerity measure.
"There will be nothing ostentatious about the oath-taking programme at the Raj Bhawan on Thursday morning, when Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore will administer the oath of office to Amarinder Singh as the new chief minister of the state," Punjab Congress had said on Tuesday.