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January 17th, 2009 Sukhbir to be sworn in next week LOK SABHA MP and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal is expected to be sworn in as Punjab's deputy chief minister next week — either on Wednesday or latest by Friday . Sources said top Punjab officials are in touch with Raj Bhawan, seeking availability of the Governor, Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd), for the swearing-in ceremony . The Governor, who is away to Delhi for some meetings, is scheduled to return tomorrow and remain in station in the coming week. Preparations are on for the swearing-in ceremony, likely to be held outside Raj Bhawan in view of the expected large gathering of Akali supporters. As in the past, the Akali top brass is once again considering the Mohali cricket stadium for the ceremony . Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had yesterday confirmed SAD Core Committee's decision to install Badal Junior as his deputy . While making the announcement in the presence of BJP minister and leader of the party's legislature group Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar, Badal said he had already taken the consent of the top BJP leadership. In Delhi, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley told the visiting state leaders to abide by the SAD decision as it was the larger partner. Sukhbir, who got a major share of the credit for SAD's victory in the 2007 polls, is likely to be allocated some important portfolios, including Home Affairs, Power and Housing and Urban Development, currently with the Chief Minister. Although the party is yet to take a formal decision on who would be dropped from the state Cabinet, SAD sources said in the event of Bikram Singh Majithia putting in his papers to make way for his brother-in-law Sukhbir in the Council of Ministers, the departments of Information and Public Relations, Public Health and Science and Environment, at present with Majithia, would also be available for distribution among other ministers. Majithia could even be considered for fighting a Lok Sabha seat, the sources added. In that case, there is a strong chance of Sukhbir getting the department of Information and Public Relations as well. Sukhbir Badal, MP from Faridkot, who led the party in the last Assembly elections on the development plank, was first appointed SAD's acting president soon after the SAD-BJP government was formed, and then elevated as full-time party president in place of his father. A senior Akali leader said since the Congress would be projecting former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh as its main campaigner in the Lok Sabha polls, there was a growing realisation within the party that the only person who could take him head-on was Sukhbir Badal. "He's a forceful campaigner and has great organisational ability and skills. That would certainly help the party in LS polls," he added. Once Sukhbir takes over as deputy CM, his elevation as CM after the LS polls would become smooth, added a party insider.