Parkash Singh Badal – Famous Punjabi

Parkash Singh Badal was born on December 8, 1927 in Abul Khurana, near Malout. He belongs to a Jat family of Dhillon clan. His father’s name is Raghuraj Singh and mother’s name Sundri Kaur. He started his political career in 1947. He was Sarpanch of the village Badal and later Chairman of Block Samiti, Lambi before rising into Punjab politics. He was elected to Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 1957 for the first time. He was re-elected in 1969 serving as Minister for Community Development, Panchayati Raj, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. He was Leader of the Opposition in 1972, 1980 and 2002. He has been elected in Vidhan Sabha for total 10 times, 1957 and each election from 1969 till present except 1992. In 1992 he led a boycott of state elections in February 1992, by the Akalis. He is also a former union minister in Morarji Desai government in 1977. Parkash Singh Badal held the portfolio of Agriculture and Irrigation. He has served as Punjab Chief Minister for four terms the first time in 1969 when he became the youngest Chief Minister of an Indian state. Presently he is serving his fifth term. In 2007 Punjab State Election Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government won 67 out of 117 seats and Parkash Singh Badal was sworn as the Chief Minister for the fourth time. He held 10 portfolios which include the ministries for Home, Housing & Urban Development, Excise & Taxation, Power, Personnel, General Administration, Vigilance, Employment, Legal & Legislative Affairs and NRIs Affairs. Badal launched many schemes such as free ambulance service, Talwandi Sabo thermal plant, etc. In the 2012 election, Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party together won 68 seats out of 117, despite a tradition of anti-incumbency in Punjab. Badal again became the chief minister of Punjab on 14 March 2012 after being sworn in by the Governor of Punjab, Shivraj Patil. He is also the oldest chief minister ever, and is the only person who is both the youngest and the oldest chief minister of his state. In the present government he holds portfolio of Personnel, General Administration, Power, Cooperation, Science Technology and Environment, Vigilance and Employment Generation. Parkash Singh Badal along with his wife Surinder Kaur, son Sukhbir Singh and seven others were booked under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2003. After a seven year long case all accused were acquitted by a local court in Mohali in 2010 due to the lack of incriminating evidence. In 2007, 11 key witnesses retracting their statements before the Special Court set up in Ropar district.