Stage set for Badal's fourth term as Punjab CM

Chandigarh, Mar 1 (UNI) The stage is set for the 'grand old' man of Punjab politics and Akali stalwart Prakash Singh Badal to take over the reins of the border state for the fourth time.

Mr Badal, who led the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP alliance to victory in the just concluded assembly polls capturing 67 seats in the 117-member Vidhan Sabha, will be sworn-in as the 19th Chief Minister of Punjab at a public function in the PAC-stadium at Mohali tomorrow.

Governor Gen (retd) S F Rodrigues will administer the oath of office to the Akali leader.

Besides Mr Badal, eight to ten ministers are also likely to take oath tomorrow. Amongst the Akali MLAs who are expected to be sworn- in are Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Dr Upinderjit Kaur, Manpreet Singh Badal and Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon. While Manpreet is the nephew of Mr Badal, Mr Adesh Pratap is the son-in-law of the SAD supremo.

The BJP MLA's whose names are being mentioned for a berth in the Cabinet are Manoranjan Kalia, the leader of the BJP legislature party, Tiksham Sood, Satpal Gosain, Mrs Laxmi Kanta Chawla and Raj Khurana. The BJP had won a record 19 of the 23 seats it contested and had enabled SAD to cross the magical figure of 59 in the 117-member assembly.

Meanwhile, hectic preparations are on at the PCA stadium for the oath taking ceremony. Invitations have been sent to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, senior BJP leaders including L K Advani, Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a close friend of Mr Badal and the Chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Besides former chief ministers O P Chautala, Sahib Singh Verma and Chandra Babu Naidu have also been invited for the ceremony.

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