Badal sworn in as Punjab Chief Minister, along with Cabinet

Mohali, Mar 2 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal President Parkash Singh Badal was sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister of Punjab today, at the head of a 18-member SAD-BJP alliance Cabinet.

Mr Badal has taken up the reins of the state he has ruled the longest, for a fourth time, Besides Mr Badal, 17 ministers of the SAD-BJP alliance, two of them women, were sworn in by State Governor S F Rodrigues amid cheering and applause at an impressive ceremony held at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium here, teeming with dignitaries and SAD-BJP supporters.

The 12 Akali ministers include Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Dr Upinderjit Kaur, Manpreet Singh Badal, Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Suchha Singh Langah, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Ajit Singh Kohar, Bikram Singh Majithia, Hira Singh Gabaria and Parminder Singh Dhindsa.

While Manpreet is the nephew of Mr Badal, Mr Adesh Pratap is the son-in-law of the SAD supremo and Mr Majithia is brother-in-law of Sukhbir Singh Badal, son of Badal senior.

The five BJP MLAs who were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Gen(retd) Rodrigues are Manoranjan Kalia, the leader of the BJP legislature party, Tikshan Sood, Chaudhary Swarna Ram, Mrs Laxmi Kanta Chawla and Master Mohan Lal.

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.

Prominent among those present on the occasion were senior BJP leader L K Advani, BJP chief Rajnath Singh, former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma and party's newly elected star MP Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh of the Congress was conspicuous by his absence.

In a public message, Mr Badal had invited the people of Punjab to attend the function and extend ''their support to create a prosperous and progressive Punjab and fulfil the dreams of Guru sahibans, rishi munis and Sufi saints.'' The SAD patriarch took the oath in Punjabi to begin his fourth term as Chief Minister. During his earlier three stints, he had spent a total of eight years, 10 months and 22 days at the top political post in the border state. Mr Badal first became CM in 1970, again in 1977 and then in 1997.

The jubilant SAD-BJP supporters, wearing turbans in deep blue, associated with the Akali Dal and also sported by Mr Badal, and in saffron, the BJP's favourite, presented a bright scene under a clear, sunny sky.

As Chief Secretary K R Lakhanpal announced the name of the octogenarian leader, inviting him to come to the mike to take the oath, the stadium reverbrated with the shouts of ''Bole so Nihal...'' ''Badal Zindabad'' and ''Badal Amar Rahe...'' UNI