Badal Chief Minister of the Indian state of Punjab for a record 5th time

Chappar Chiri (Punjab, India), March 14 (PTI) 85-year-old year old Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal was today sworn in as the Chief Minister of the northern Indian state of Punjab for a record fifth time along with 17 other Cabinet rank ministers, including his son Sukhbir, for a second successive term of the SAD-BJP alliance government. Badal, his son Sukhbir, 50, as Deputy Chief Minister and 16 other Cabinet rank ministers (14 from the SAD and four from the Sikh party's poll ally Bhartiya Janata Party) were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Shivraj V Patil at Chappar Chiri, about 25 kms from the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, at a ceremony attended by leaders of various political parties, including BJP, Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Janata Dal (United) and Indian National Lok Dal. The exercise of government formation in the state with a 117-member assembly, which can have 18 ministers, including the chief minister, was completed by Badal in one go. The SAD-BJP alliance got an absolute majority in the Assembly polls winning 68 seats whereas the Congress got only 46. Badal senior headed full two five-year terms from 1997 and 2007. His other terms were between 1977-1980 and 1970-71. Choice of Chappar Chiri as the venue for the swearing in ceremony was due to the reason that Banda Singh Bahadur, one of the most respected warriors in Sikh history, had won a battle here against Wazir Khan, who commanded the Mughal army in 1710. PTI Caption for pic: Parkash Singh Badal taking oath as the Chief Minister of Punjab at Chapper Chhiri, about 25 km from Chandigarh on Wednesday. PTI Photo