Chandigarh, Aug 10 - Having remained out of power for about 40 days, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal was Monday sworn in as deputy chief minister in the Punjab government headed by his father, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Badal junior was administered the oath of office and secrecy as deputy chief minister by Punjab Governor S.F. Rodrigues at a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhawan here.

Sukhbir, wearing a white kurta-payjama and a black half-jacket, took the oath in Punjabi. He then touched the feet of his father Parkash Singh Badal on the dais and his mother Surinder Kaur, who was seated nearby. He greeted other relatives, including his MP wife Harsimrat Kaur.

This is the second time within seven months that Sukhbir Badal has been sworn-in as deputy chief minister.

He was first inducted as deputy chief minister in the Badal government Jan 21 this year in Amritsar. He remained in the post for just over five months.

Sukhbir Badal resigned July 1 after failing to fulfil the constitutional requirement of getting elected within six months of being sworn in.