Archit Watts

Muktsar, April 25

Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal passed away on Tuesday at a private hospital in Mohali.

He was 95.

Badal was hospitalised for the past few days and was suffering from breathing problem.

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.

His wife Surinder Kaur Badal died due to cancer in May 2011.

Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had recently inquired about the well being of Badal.

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 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.