Badal ministry to induct SAD, BJP ministers

Badal ministry to induct SAD, BJP ministers
UNITED NEWS OF INDIA

CHANDIGARH, DECEMBER 30: The three-year-old Parkash Singh Badal ministry in Punjab will be expanded on Friday with the induction of some ministers belonging to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP.

Though the official number of new entrants was not made public, informed sources told UNI that 13 to 14 new faces were likely to be inducted in the cabinet.

Badal had assumed office in February, 1997 following massive victory for the SAD-BJP alliance in the Assembly elections. However, following a split in the SAD, five ministers owing allegience to former Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra quit the Badal Ministry last year. Bibi Jagir Kaur resigned after she was made chief of SGPC.

With the resignations and death of Swaroop Singh last year, the strength of the Badal ministry had been reduced to 26 including the Chief Minister and ten ministers of state.