New governments assume office in Punjab, Manipur

Mohali/Imphal, Mar 2 (UNI) Octogenarian leader Parkash Singh Badal was today sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister of Punjab at the head of a 18-member SAD-BJP coalition ministry while Okram Ibobi Singh of the Congress assumed office as the 26th Chief Minister of Manipur, a second consecutive term.

The BJP Chief Minister-designate of Uttarakhand Maj-Gen(retd) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, meanwhile, said he would take oath of office after March 6.

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.

In Imphal, Mr Ibobi Singh was sworn in by Governor S S Sidhu in a packed banquet hall. All the elected MLAs, former Chief Minister W Nipamacha Singh, Union Minister for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes and a large number of other officials attended the function.

Mr Singh was the only one who took oath of office and secrecy today.

He said the Ministry would be expanded after Holi.

Mr Singh said he would focus on development in the state and restoration of peace.

''Peace and development are two most important issues that should to be addressed immediately,'' he said.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal(RJD) and eight Independents had announced their support to the leadership of Mr Singh, taking the strength of the Secular Progressive Alliance Government to 44 in the 60-member Assembly.

A Dehradun report said Uttarakhand Governor Sudarshan Agarwal today invited Bharatiya Janata Party Legislature Party Leader Maj-Gen (retd) Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri to form the government in the state.

''I will take oath as Chief Minister after March 6,'' Maj-Gen Khanduri told reporters. He confirmed that Rajendra Singh Bhandari, an Independent, has extended support to his party to fill shortcoming of one MLA required to form the government. '' The Governor has given me the deadline of March 20 to prove majority,'' he said.

The BJP had won 34 seats out of 69 for which election was held.

The party needed just one MLA to gain a simple majority in the 70-member House.

UNI