Chandigarh, July 2 (Inditop.com) With Governor S.F. Rodrigues accepting Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s resignation Thursday, his father and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has taken over his son’s ministerial portfolios.
Badal Jr. resigned as his father’s second-in-command Wednesday, just days ahead of the six-month deadline under law to get elected to the state assembly got over.
The deadline was to expire July 20 as Sukhbir was sworn-in deputy chief minister Jan 21 this year.
“Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would now look after the portfolios held by former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who resigned from the council of ministers yesterday,” an official spokesman of the Punjab government said here.
Sukhbir handled the departments of home affairs, information and public relations, water supply and sanitation, NRI affairs, sports and youth welfare and non-conventional energy.
Under the Representation of People Act, Badal had to get himself elected to the assembly within six months of being sworn-in as deputy chief minister.
However, Badal junior, who is also the Akali Dal president, could not get elected mainly because of his pre-occupation with the Lok Sabha elections, ruling Akali Dal leaders said.
Parkash Singh Badal heads the Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance government in the state since March 2007.
Sukhbir was elevated as his deputy chief minister, bypassing several senior Akali and BJP leaders.
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