Badal invites Jayalalithaa to his swearing-in

The AIADMK supremo, however expressed her inability to attend the ceremony as she was scheduled to undertake campaign for the March 18 Sanakarankoil assembly bypoll on that day.

Having conveyed her inability to attend the swearing-in ceremony though she would have liked to, Jayalalithaa said she will depute her party MPs Dr V Maithreyan and M Thambidurai on her behalf, an official release here said. She told Badal that her campaign scheduled had already been announced.

The ruling SAD-BJP combine had retained its hold in the just concluded Punjab Assembly elections and Jayalalithaa had earlier greeted Badal on his poll success.