Who was Parkash Singh Badal? Lesser known facts about five-time CM of Punjab

Parkash Singh Badal: Five-time former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal passed away at 95 on Tuesday, April 26. He was admitted to Mohali's Fortis Hospital over a week ago after he complained of uneasiness in breathing. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Droupadi Murmu as everyone mourns the death of the veteran political leader, here are some lesser-known facts about him.

Parkash Singh Badal: The youngest and oldest CM

Parkash Singh Badal became the Chief Minister for the first time in 1970, he was the youngest Chief Minister of any state in the country i.e. 43 years.

Meanwhile, when he became the Chief Minister for the fifth time in the year 2012, he was the oldest CM of the country. This time he was the oldest candidate in the 2022 assembly elections. 

Parkash Singh Badal family: Wife, daughter, son

Born on December 8, 1927, in a village named Abul Khurana (now in Pakistan), he hailed from a Jat Sikh family.

Prakash Singh Badal and his wife Surinder Kaur have two children Sukhbir Singh Badal and Preneet Kaur.

His wife Surinder Kaur died in 2011 due to illness. Son- Sukhbir Singh Badal is an MLA from Fazilka constituency of Punjab and has also been the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab. Prakash

Singh Badal's daughter is married to the son of former Punjab Chief Minister Pratap Singh Kairon.

Parkash Singh Badal: Education

He received his education at the Christian College in Lahore. Badal began his political career in 1947.

In 1957, he was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly for the first time from the Congress. He became a legislator a total of 10 times.

In 1961, Parkash Singh Badal was included in the cabinet. He was the leader of the opposition in 1972, 1980 and 2002. He became the Chief Minister of Punjab for the first time in March 1970. Parkash Singh Badal is the eighth Chief Minister of Punjab.

But amid allegations and counter-allegations, he had to relinquish the post of Chief Minister and after being elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977, he became the Agriculture and Irrigation Minister at the Centre. In 1977 itself, Badal once again got the opportunity to become the Chief Minister of Punjab. He completed his term as the Chief Minister of Punjab only once from 1997 to 2002. In 2012, he became the Chief Minister of Punjab for the 5th time.

Parkash Singh Badal: Contribution

Parkash Singh Badal has spent almost seventeen years of his life in jail for protecting Punjab, Punjabiyat and Punjabis and raising voice for their interests. Parkash Singh Badal has also been raising his voice against corruption.

Parkash Singh Badal: Achievements

In 2015, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award by the Government of India. In 2011, the Akal Takht conferred on him the title of Panth Ratan Fakhr-e-Kaum

The Shiromani Akal Dal fielded the patriarch again from home turf Lambi in Punjab’s Muktsar district for the assembly elections last year. He lost but entered the record books for being the oldest person to fight an election in the country.

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