All five BJP ministers in Punjab resign (Lead)
May 12th, 2011 - 11:35 pm ICT by IANS
Chandigarh, May 12 (IANS) All five Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers in Punjab resigned Thursday over a corruption taint on the party’s state leadership.
Besides, two BJP chief parliamentary secretaries (CPSs) also submitted their resignations.
The ministers and CPSs gave their resignations to BJP senior vice president and state in-charge Shanta Kumar, who further submitted them to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, a party leader said.
The ministers — Manoranjan Kalia (industries and local bodies), Swarna Ram (social welfare and justice), Tikshan Sood (forests and medical education), Luxmi Kanta Chawla (health) and Mohan Lal (transport) — and CPSs — Arunesh Shakar and Sukhpal Singh Nannu — submitted their resignations after a day-long meeting at BJP’s Punjab headquarters here.
According to sources, the BJP central leadership had asked its ministers in the Akali-Dal-BJP alliance government to resign.
Kalia and Swarna Ram were recently accused in a Rs.1.5 crore graft case. They were also interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials over their alleged involvement in this case.
Besides, BJP CPS Raj Khurana was also arrested by CBI sleuths in the same case May 5. Khurana, who is currently under judicial remand, had submitted his resignation Sunday.
Kalia is one of the senior-most ministers in the Punjab cabinet after Chief Minister Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The Akali Dal-BJP government is in power since March 2007. The next assembly elections in the state are slated in February 2012.
- Four BJP ministers resign in Punjab (Second Lead) - May 13, 2011
- Badal inducts five BJP ministers, allocates portfolios (Lead) - May 15, 2011
- It's SAD! Seven Punjab ministers, speaker trounced - Mar 07, 2012
- BJP to announce five Punjab ministers - May 14, 2011
- CBI summons two Punjab ministers in graft case - May 08, 2011
- Punjab functionary resigns after graft charge, arrest - May 08, 2011
- Five BJP ministers inducted in Punjab cabinet - May 15, 2011
- Did not attempt suicide in prison, says Punjab BJP leader - May 24, 2011
- CBI questions Punjab minister in graft case - May 09, 2011
- CBI questions Punjab ministers in graft case (Lead) - May 09, 2011
- CBI arrests Punjab minister's aide in graft case - May 10, 2011
- Badal stakes claim, invited to form government (Lead) - Mar 09, 2012
- BJP defends its Punjab leaders named in graft case - Jun 09, 2011
- Punjab backs arrested legislator - May 07, 2011
- Triangular contest on cards in most Punjab seats - Dec 25, 2011
Tags: akali dal, alliance government, assembly elections, bharatiya janata party, cbi officials, central bureau of investigation, central leadership, deputy chief minister, graft case, judicial remand, mohan lal, parkash, parliamentary secretaries, resignations, senior vice president, shakar, social welfare, sood, state leadership, sukhbir singh