Thursday, June 25, 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

    Punjab makes dope test mandatory for government jobs

    Punjab makes dope test mandatory for government jobs
    To curb incidence of people addicted to drugs joining state government service, the Punjab government Thursday announced that dope testing will be mandatory...

    Punjab makes dope test mandatory for government jobs

    Pakistan fires at Indian positions on LoC

    Pakistan fires at Indian positions on LoC
    The Pakistan Army fired without any provocation at Indian positions on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, an official said Thursday....

    Pakistan fires at Indian positions on LoC

    Modi not to address US Congress

    Modi not to address US Congress
    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be addressing the US Congress when he comes calling September end for a summit with President Barack Obama....

    Modi not to address US Congress

    Kashmir Valley tense on Independence Day eve

    Kashmir Valley tense on Independence Day eve
    Following a guerrilla attack in a south Kashmir town, tension prevailed in the Kashmir Valley Thursday on the eve of the nation's Independence Day Aug 15....

    Kashmir Valley tense on Independence Day eve

    The Indian connection in Jerusalem through the centuries

    The Indian connection in Jerusalem through the centuries
    For close to a century, many generations of an Indian family have been looking after the Indian Hospice, a symbol of India's heritage, in the old city of Jerusalem. This existence intrigued Indian diplomat-writer Navtej Sarna, who has chronicled its story in a fascinating new book.

    The Indian connection in Jerusalem through the centuries

    Indian-origin mathematician among winners of maths Nobel

    Indian-origin mathematician among winners of maths Nobel
    Two Indian-origin mathematicians have won prestigious global prizes in the field of mathematics with one of them being awarded the Fields Medal - known as the "Nobel Prize of mathematics".

    Indian-origin mathematician among winners of maths Nobel