Tuesday, June 9, 2026
ADVT 
India

Punjab Assembly Session Begins, Badals Absent

Darpan News Desk, 24 Mar, 2017 01:26 PM
    The first session of the newly-elected 15th Punjab Assembly began here on Friday, with swearing-in of the new members. Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and ex-Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal remained absent.
     
    Protem Speaker Rana K.P. Singh said that 115 of the 117 legislators took oath on Friday.
     
    Only Badal senior and Sukhbir Badal, who is also the Akali Dal president, did not attend the session and could not take the oath.
     
    The Congress government, led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, took office on March 16 after the Congress swept the February 4 assembly polls, winning 77 seats.
     
     
    The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 20 seats, while its ally Lok Insaaf Party won two.
     
    The Badals' Shiromani Akali Dal won 15 seats while ally Bharatiya Janata Party won three seats. 
     
    The Akali Dal-BJP alliance ruled Punjab for a decade from 2007.
     
    The new Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be elected on Monday.
     
    Governor V.P. Singh Badnore will address the assembly on March 28, followed by a debate on the address and Motion of Thanks, besides presentation of Supplementary Grants for the 2016-17 fiscal and a Vote on Account for fiscal 2017-18 on March 29.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Baiting India, Nawaz Sharif Picks 22 Envoys To Highlight Kashmir Crisis

    Baiting India, Nawaz Sharif Picks 22 Envoys To Highlight Kashmir Crisis
    Pakistan on Saturday decided to escalate its diplomatic lobbying on Kashmir, with 22 parliamentarians to go as special envoys to various countries to apprise them about the "brutalities and human rights abuses committed by Indian forces" in Jammu and Kashmir.

    Baiting India, Nawaz Sharif Picks 22 Envoys To Highlight Kashmir Crisis

    Mehbooba Pins Kashmir Hopes On Modi, Blames Pakistan For Unrest

    Mehbooba Pins Kashmir Hopes On Modi, Blames Pakistan For Unrest
    Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday squarely blamed Pakistan and separatists for fuelling the ongoing trouble in the Kashmir Valley that has been seething with public anger and violent anti-government protests for the past 50 days.

    Mehbooba Pins Kashmir Hopes On Modi, Blames Pakistan For Unrest

    Akali Dal 'Shocked' By Arvind Kejriwal's 'Anti-Sikh' Stand

    Akali Dal 'Shocked' By Arvind Kejriwal's 'Anti-Sikh' Stand
    Describing Kejriwal's remarks, made to Chhotepur, as "shocking in the extreme", the Akali Dal termed these as "anti-Sikh, most disparaging and humiliating remarks".

    Akali Dal 'Shocked' By Arvind Kejriwal's 'Anti-Sikh' Stand

    Three B.C. Cities Want Ottawa To Share Revenue Of Prospective Marijuana Tax

    VANCOUVER — Three municipalities in British Columbia want a stake in any tax revenue that the federal government collects from the legalization of marijuana.

    Three B.C. Cities Want Ottawa To Share Revenue Of Prospective Marijuana Tax

    Rahul Gandhi Must Quit Politics To Save Congress Future: Subramanian Swamy

    Rahul Gandhi Must Quit Politics To Save Congress Future: Subramanian Swamy
    On Thursday, Gandhi said in a tweet, “I will never stop fighting the hateful and divisive agenda of the RSS. I stand by every single word I said.”

    Rahul Gandhi Must Quit Politics To Save Congress Future: Subramanian Swamy

    Chilli Pepper Balls May Replace Pellets In Kashmir

    A government-appointed experts panel has recommended chilli pepper-filled balls to replace the dangerous pellets as less lethal ammunition to control protesting crowds in Jammu and Kashmir.

    Chilli Pepper Balls May Replace Pellets In Kashmir