Sukhbir joins Punjab govt as deputy CM

Sukhbir, son of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, took oath as deputy chief minister of the state here on Wednesday in a spectacular event.

Governor general (retd) SF Rodrigues flew all the way from Chandigarh to administer the oath amid beating of drums and bursting of crackers by thousands of Akali supporters at the three-minute ceremony.

Two-time MP from Faridkot, 46-year-old Sukhbir’s controversial choice of the holy city raised the question whether a constitutional exercise should be given a religious tinge.

With this, the father-son become joint heads of the state, which is unprecedented in the country’s democracy.

The Badals sought to coincide the swearing-in with the US president’s entry into the White House to project Sukhbir as the Obama of Punjab, but it only ended up heightening the contrast.  

It was a veritable show of strength by the Akalis where  BJP president Rajnath Singh, former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah, former Haryana CM Om Parkash Chautala, former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje and former Union minister Maneka Gandhi were among the VVIPs in attendance.  

Almost the entire official machinery was in toe to make the function a roaring success.
A visibly happy chief minister, who turned 83 this year, said it was important to bring more young blood into the government. “I hope Sukhbir will be able to take care of his new responsibility and duty well,” he said. Sukhbir’s elevation is being seen as the Akali Dal’s attempt to target youth ahead of parliamentary elections.