Parkash Singh Badal to be Punjab CM on 14 March

Chandigarh: Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Badal will be sworn in as Punjab Chief Minister on 14 March for a record fifth time. All speculation over leadership was firmy put to rest on Thursday, when the Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) unanimously elected Badal as its Legislature party leader.[caption id="attachment_238411" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Parkash Singh Badal will start his historic 5th term on 14 March: PIB image"][/caption]"I had declared it well in advance that Badal will be the Chief Minister," SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal told reporters at the chief minister's official residence here.Sukhbir said the swearing-in ceremony of 85-year-old Badal, who will head the SAD-BJP coalition government, would be held on March 14 at the historic Chapar Chiri Banda Bahadur Memorial in Fatehgarh Sahab district.The oath taking ceremony is traditionally held at Raj Bhavan.There was some speculation that Badal Sr would hand over power to his son Sukhbir, following the parties historic election victory on Tuesday. Sukhbir said that both the SAD and the BJP would decide upon the post of Deputy Chief Minister, and that the cabinet ranks would be decided by the Chief Minister. He gave his father the credit for returning the SAD to power. "Under the leadership of (Parkash Singh) Badal, the state performed well and Akalis got victory," he said.The SAD-BJP alliance broke a 46-year-old jinx, becoming the first government to come to power for a second successive term in Punjab.PTI