Parkash Singh Badal
Parkash Singh Badal, a Dhillon Jatt Sikh, (born August 12, 1927, in Abul Khurana, Punjab) was the Chief Minister of Punjab (Latest being 2007 - 2017).
He breathed his last on 25 April 2023 at the age of 95.
Career in politics
He served as Chief Minister at five times : from 1970 to 1971, from 1977 to 1980, and from 1997 to 2002.
In the Punjab elections in March 2017, his party (SAD) lost majority and hence, he left Chief-Ministership when Captain Amarender Singh of Congress party, took over as next Chief Minister.
He was also the patron of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a Sikh-centered regional political party based in Punjab. He was the president of the party from 1995 to 2008, when he was replaced by his son Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Parkash Badal entered politics in 1947 and was first elected to Vidhan Sabha in 1957. Also, he has served as a Member of Parliament (M.P.) and Union Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation in the Government headed by Morarji Desai.
Punjab Assembly Elections 2022
Prakash Singh Badal also fought elections for MLA in polls conducted in February 2022. On 8 March 2022, the results were announced when he was defeated. This time, the Aam Aadmi Party got a thumping majority and Bhagwant Mann from AAP took over as CM of Punjab on 16 March 2022.
Legacy
He has left behind two children, one son and one daughter. His son, Sukhbir Singh Badal has been a Member of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha (several times) and also Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab. Earlier he was also a member of Parliament and a union minister.
Parkash Singh Badal's daughter is married to Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon, a scion of the Kairon family (he is grandson of the legendary Pratap Singh Kairon and nephew of former Chief Minister and Governor Harcharan Singh Brar.
Padma Vibhushan
Prakash Singh Badal: Padma Vibhushan - 2015, Public Affairs, Punjab
Obituary
Tribune News Service
Archit Watts
Badal (Muktsar), April 27, 2023
Cutting across party lines, thousands bid tearful adieu to former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who was cremated with full state honours at Badal village in Muktsar district today.
Badal, 95, died at a hospital in Mohali on Tuesday.
The last rites of the grand old man of state politics were performed by his son and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal along with his daughters, Harkirat Kaur and Gurleen Kaur, and son Anantveer Singh at their orchard.
Sukhbir’s estranged cousin Manpreet Badal’s son Arjun and daughter Rhea, sister Parneet Kaur Kairon’s son Jai also lit the pyre. The SAD leadership claimed that the family had given a message of women empowerment following the teachings of the Guru Sahibs. A few minutes before lighting the pyre, Sukhbir broke down.
A brigade of policemen gave a gun salute to the former Chief Minister.
Earlier, during the day, the mortal remains of Badal were kept in the courtyard of his house, so that people could have his last ‘darshan’. Senior BJP leadership, including its national president JP Nadda, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and leader Tarun Chugh also visited the residence. Former Maharashtra CM Sharad Pawar too visited the family’s residence.
Among the prominent persons who came to pay tributes to the leader included Union Minister of State Som Parkash, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, CM Bhagwant Mann, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Deputy CM, Haryana, Dushyant Chautala, former CMs of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala and Bhupinder Hooda, J&K former CM Omar Abdullah, former Union Minister Pawan Bansal, Punjab Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora and Dr Baljit Kaur, Haryana Cabinet Minister Ranjit Chautala, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, former minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, former minister of Rajasthan Gurjant Singh Brar, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, SGPC former presidents Hargobind Singh Longowal and Bibi Jagir Kaur, DSGMC chief Harmeet Singh Kalka, DSGMC former presidents Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Paramjit Singh Sarna, BSP state president Jasvir Singh Garhi, several leaders, including Bikram Singh Majithia, Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema, Sikander Singh Maluka, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Sharanjit Dhillon.
External Links
References
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