Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Sewa Singh Sekhwan was inducted into the Parkash Singh Badal ministry in Punjab on Monday, taking its strength to 18.

Punjab Governor S F Rodrigues administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sekhwan at a simple function at Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh, in the presence of the Chief Minister and other state leaders.

Sekhwan, who had won the by-election to the Kahnuwan assembly constituency in August, fills the slot which fell vacant following the death of Cooperation Minister Kanwaljit Singh in a road accident.

59-year-old Sekhwan, who took oath in Punjabi, was a cabinet minister in the previous SAD-BJP government from 1997 to 2002.

He was handpicked by Badal over his son Sukhbir’s brother-in-law Bikramjit Singh Majithia, party sources said.

Badal said Sekhwan will be allocated portfolio soon and sources said he might get one of the departments held by the Chief Minister or Deputy Chief Minister.

With Sekhwan’s induction, Gurdaspur district has three representations in the cabinet now.

Sekhwan first got elected as MLA in 1997 from Kahnuwan and was given the charge of Revenue, Rehabilitation and Public Relations minister in the Badal Government.

He is a member of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), the supreme Sikh body, besides being a member of the core committee of Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and working committee of SAD.