Sukhbir Badal resigns as Punjab deputy chief minister

Chandigarh, July 1 : Sukhbir Singh Badal resigned as Punjab deputy chief minister Wednesday, less than six months after being sworn in as second in command to his father Parkash Singh Badal.

Chief Minister Badal confirmed that his son had put in his papers. He did not say when he would forward the resignation for acceptance by the Punjab governor.

Badal junior resigned as he could not get himself elected to the Punjab assembly within six months of being sworn in.

He took oath Jan 21 this year and had to get elected within six months under the rules of the Representation of the People Act. The six month period is to end July 20.

Officials in the Punjab Raj Bhawan here said the resignation had not been forwarded for acceptance to Punjab Governor S.F. Rodrigues by Chief Minister Badal till Wednesday evening.

This was the first instance in India's political history where the father-son duo was head and second-in-command in the same government.

This instance was followed in Tamil Nadu May this year where Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi appointed his son M.K. Stalin as his deputy chief minister.

Badal senior heads the Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance government in the state since March 2007.

Sukhbir Badal is the Akali Dal president.

Badal junior was the sitting MP of the ruling Akali Dal when he was sworn-in as deputy chief minister in Amritsar city Jan 21 this year at a public ceremony with a lot of fanfare.

The way for his induction was paved after his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia resigned as a cabinet minister.

Though it was speculated that some sitting legislator would vacate an assembly seat for Sukhbir Badal, that did not happen and he could not get elected to the state assembly within six months as required by law.

Badal junior got busy with the general elections campaigning in the state since the Akali Dal was fighting the polls under his leadership for the first time. However, the Akalis won only four out of the 13 parliamentary seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

It is being speculated within Akali Dal circles that Sukhbir Badal would contest the assembly polls early August from the Jalalabad assembly seat in Ferozepur district.

Three assembly seats, Kahnuwan (Gurdaspur district), Jalalabad and Banur (Mohali district), will go for by-elections Aug 3.

--IANS