Parkash Singh Badal, the former chief minister of Punjab and Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch, passed away at a private hospital in Mohali on Tuesday. He was 95.Badal, a five-time chief minister, was admitted to the intensive care unit of private hospital following complaints of breathing difficulties on Sunday.
In June last year, Badal was hospitalised following a complaint of gastritis and bronchial asthma. In February last year, he was taken to a private hospital in Mohali for a post-Covid health check-up during which he had undergone cardiac and pulmonary check-ups too.
The SAD was an ally of the ruling BJP but left the saffron party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September 2020 over the passage of three agri-marketing bills in Parliament. The party also pulled out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government with the resignation of Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Cabinet.Badal is survived by son and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and daughter Parneet Kaur, who is married to former cabinet minister Adeish Partap Singh Kairon.Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had recently inquired about the well being of this stalwart.
Badal was the oldest candidate in the electoral fray in the country in the state elections in 2022, but lost to AAP’s first timer Gurmeet Singh Khudian (son of late MP Jagdev Singh Khudian). This was Badal’s 13th Assembly election. After the election results, Badal was hardly politically active in the area. Though he had started his thanksgiving tour in Lambi, it too was cancelled midway. Thereafter, he either spent time at his residences at Badal village and Chandigarh farmhouse at Balasar village in Haryana.
Notably, Badal has created many records in the past. He was the youngest sarpanch when got elected from Badal village in 1952. Besides, he became the youngest CM of the state in 1970. Further, he became the oldest CM in 2012. He has also the record of becoming the CM for five times from 1970-71, 1977-80, 1997-2002, 2007-12 and 2012-17. Besides, he has remained member of Lok Sabha once, served as Union Agriculture Minister for a short stint as well.
