B'day Special: Prakash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab

Parkash Singh Badal is the incumbent and longest-serving Chief Minister of Punjab with over 15 years in office. He is also one of the wealthiest politicians of India. He has also served as the former Union Minister and as the President of Shiromani Akali Dal, one of the important political parties in Punjab.Badal, patron of SAD, exercises a strong influence on Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. He is till date recognized as one of the most powerful Sikh leaders in the world.He belongs to a Jat family of Dhillon clan. He is credited with carrying out various welfare services in Punjab. Badal has contributed generously for the upliftment of the society.Let us know more about him on his 87th birthday:Prakash Singh Badal was born on December 8, 1927 in Abul Khurana, near Malout to Raghuraj Singh and Sundri Kaur. He hails from a Jat family of the Dhillon clan.He graduated from the Forman Christian College in Lahore (now in Pakistan).In 1959, he married Surinder Kaur. The couple was blessed with two children, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Parneet Kaur. In 2011, Surinder Kaur passed away after prolonged illness. She suffered from cancer.Sukhbir is currently the President of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). He is married to Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is also a politician and presently Member of Parliament of India from Bathinda.Praneet Kaur, Prakash Singh Badal's second child, is married to Adesh Pratap Singh KaironPrakash Singh Badal started his political career in 1947. He was head of the village prior to this. Later he was made the Chairman of Block Samiti, Lambi.It is after this that he began involving himself properly in Punjab politics and rose to newer heights of success with rapidity. 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 was appointed as Union Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation in Morarji Desai government in 1977.Prakash Singh Badal served as Punjab Chief Minister for four terms, the first time in 1970. He was the youngest Chief Minister of India at that point of time. Presently he is serving his fifth term. He is so far the longest-serving Chief Minister of Punjab with over 15 years in office. When Badal was first elected as the CM in March 1970, he headed a coalition government of Akali Dal (Sant) and Jana Sangh. In June 1970 Jana Sangh withdrew support from the Badal government over their difference about place of Hindi in Punjab.Later his minority government looked to rival Akali Dal faction headed by ex-CM Gurnam Singh. In November 1970, Akali Dal faction led by Gurnam Singh merged with Akali Dal (Sant) and became part of Badal government.However, due to internal conflicts Gurnam Singh along with other 17 Akali MLA's deflected and formed a new faction.Subsequently, Badal resigned as chief minister on 13 June and recommended the dissolution of assembly. On 15 June, President's Rule was imposed in Punjab.In 2007 Punjab Assembly Elections, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP coalition government won 67 out of 117 seats and Parkash Singh Badal was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the fourth time.He held 10 portfolios including 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.Through a new transportation policy, he reduced taxes on air conditioned buses, making it less expensive for companies to operate luxury buses.In the 2012 elections, SAD and BJP jointly won 68 seats out of 117. Prakash Singh Badal again became the CM on 14 March 2012 after being sworn in by the Governor of Punjab, Shivraj Patil.While the NDA was in Opposition, Badal opposed FDI, and sided with political ally BJP.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 retracted their statements before the Special Court set up in Ropar district.On December 11, 2011, Badal was bestowed upon the title of Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum(literally Jewel of the religion, pride of the community) by the Akal Takht. Prakash Singh Badal has always been praised for his simplicity.