New Delhi: Veteran Sikh leader Parkash Singh Badal was Wednesday sworn-in as the chief minister of northern state Punjab, bordering Pakistan.
Badal was administered oath by Punjab governor Shivraj Patil at the historic Chapar Chiri Banda Bahadur Memorial in Fatehgarh Sahab district.
Besides Badal, 17 other ministers - all holding cabinet ranks, -- were also administered oath of office and secrecy by Patil, including four belonging to the junior ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Badal's Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance created history recently by becoming the first party to retain power since the states' trifurcation in 1966. The 85-year-old Badal also crated two other records by becoming the oldest chief minister of the state besides becoming chief minister of the state for the record firth time.
Badal's son Sukhbir Singh Badal was retained as the deputy chief minister. Besides the father and son duo, Badal senior's son-in-law Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon and Badal junior's brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia are the other two members of the extended Badal family to become ministers.
Several national and regional leaders including BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, former BJP president Rajnath Singh, former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia and the Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav attended the swearing-in ceremony. Federal minister Praful Patel represented the Nationalist Congress Party in place of the NCP chief Sharad Pawar who is recovering after having fainted in the parliament on Tuesday.
The SAD-BJP combine won 68 seats in the 117-member assembly. Although the combine has eight women lawmakers, only the former Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak (managing) Committee chief Bibi Jagir Kaur was included as a minister representing women.
