Akali patriarch Parkash Singh Badal dies at 95

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 25

A colossus of Punjab politics, Parkash Singh Badal, passed away this evening over a week after he was admitted to a private hospital in Mohali. He was 95. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch was being treated for breathing problems.

In a media bulletin, Fortis Hospital said: “Parkash Singh Badal, former CM of Punjab, was admitted to the hospital April 16 with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma. He was shifted to the medical ICU on April 18 as his respiratory condition worsened. Despite appropriate medical management, he succumbed to his illness.”

The five-time CM of the state, Badal is survived by son Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is the president of the SAD, and daughter Parneet Kaur, who is married to former Cabinet minister Adeish Partap Singh Kairon. His wife Surinder Kaur Badal had died due to cancer in May 2011.

Badal’s mortal remains will be placed at the SAD head office in Chandigarh from 10 am to noon on Wednesday. The cremation will take place at Badal village in Muktsar district on Thursday.

Senior party leaders reached the hospital to pay their tributes to the departed soul. SAD treasurer NK Sharma was among the first ones to reach the hospital.

At the age of 43, Badal was first elected as the CM of Punjab in 1970. In his over 75-year political journey, he lost just two Assembly elections — first to Harcharan Singh Brar from Gidderbaha in 1967 by 11,396 votes and thereafter in 2022 to Gurmet Singh Khudian from Lambi. He was elected MLA 10 times.

After the 2022 election results, Badal had given up participation in any political activity and was largely resting at his home in Lambi and at his farmhouse at Balasar village in Haryana.

He also holds the record of becoming the CM five times — in 1970-71, 1977-80, 1997-2002, 2007-12 and 2012-17. Besides, he was elected a member of the Lok Sabha once and served as the Union Agriculture Minister for a short while.

He won the first Assembly poll before the reorganisation of the state from Malout in 1957 on the ticket of the Indian National Congress (INC). He won the Assembly elections five times in a row from Gidderbaha in 1969, 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1985. Thereafter, he switched to Lambi and won five times in a row in 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017.

Badal did not contest just two Assembly elections in his political career, once in 1962 and thereafter in 1992 when the SAD had boycotted it.

Personal loss

Extremely saddened… a personal loss for me... was a colossal figure of Indian politics... worked tirelessly for the progress of Punjab.

Narendra Modi, pm

Saddened by loss

Saddened to hear about the death… May God give family the strength to bear the loss.

Bhagwant Mann, cm

Commanded respect

A towering politician who commanded respect across states and party lines.

Capt Amarinder Singh, ex-cm

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