SAD patriarch takes up the reins of Punjab for fourth time

Chandigarh, Mar 2 (UNI) From Sarpanch to CM --- the grand old man of Punjab politics, Parkash Singh Badal, a son of the soil in contrast to the royal scion he has dethroned this time, began his political journey from the grassroots -- as a village head.

The octogenarian leader, after leading the SAD-BJP combine to a convincing victory to wrest power from Patiala royal scion Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government, is taking up the reins of the state for the fourth time to become its 15th Chief Minister.

The SAD patriarch, who always sports a deep blue turban associated with his party, is the fourth Akali leader to hold the top political post in the state.

Born in the village of Abul Khurana on December 8, 1927 in Faridkot district of Punjab as Parkash Singh Dhillon, he chose to join his father Sardar Raghuraj Singh in his vocation as an agriculturist as they settled in the neighbouring village of Badal.

However, in 1947 as the country gained Independence under highly-charged atmosphere in Punjab, Mr Badal, a graduate, took a plunge into politics. He mastered the intricacies of politics from his mentor veteran Akali leader Giani Kartar Singh.

He made a gradual yet steady rise, beginning from leading the village body as a sarpanch of village Badal, the name he adopted in his avtar as political leader. After remaining active in local politics for about a decade, taking up the cause of ''Punjab, Punjabis and Punjabiat'', Mr Badal entered the Vidhan Sabha of undivided Indian Punjab in 1957.

Mr Badal came to power in the re-organised Punjab in March 27, 1970 and remained Chief Minister till June 14, 1971, displaced by Giani Zail Singh of Congress. He came back to power in June 19, 1977 but his government was dismissed in February 17, 1980, after Indira Gandhi came to power at the Centre.

After that it took him about 17 long years to again capture power in the state which remained under President's rule from 1983 to September 29, 1985 and from June 11, 1987 to February 25,1992.

The Akalis boycotted the 1992 polls due to threat from militants.

He ousted the Congress government in 1997 and chose to take oath publicly in Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium on February 12. This time, he remained in power for the complete term till February 24, 2002.

However, Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress, making ''widespread corruption by the Badal clan'' its poll plank, succeeded in coming to power in Punjab on February 27, 2002.

The out-of-power Badal clan saw a number of cases slapped against it by the Congress government on the charges of ''corruption and amassing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income.'' Many of these cases are still going on.

But the popular belief that number '7' is lucky for the SAD patriarch, once again came true as in February 2007 polls he rode back to power after turning back the tables on the arch-rival Congress and fiercely campaigning against its ''corrupt mis-rule'' under the chief ministership of Capt Amarinder Singh.

Once again in power, he was quick to declare that his government would not follow the policy of ''political vendetta as the outgoing Congress regime had done''.

Mr Badal, active in the Punjab politics since Independence, winning the assembly poll tenth time, has also made his presence felt in the national political arena. He entered Parliament in 1977 and was picked up by then Prime Minister Morarji Desai in his cabinet as Union Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation.

When not in power in Punjab, Mr Badal was the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in its terms in 1972, 1980 and 2002.

He has spent many years in jail as a political prisoner. He was lodged in Karnal jail in connection with Civil Liberties Agitation, detained under MISA during Emergency and has been to jail several times for leading movements.

After the ''Operation Bluestar'' in June 1984 to flush out militants from the ''Golden Temple'', Mr Badal, along with a number of senior Akali leaders was arrested and charged with waging war on the state. In all, he has spent about 17 years behind bars.

His various tenures saw the villages of the state getting road-links, power-supply and irrigation canals that led to the farmers reaping the benefit of the ''Green Revolution.'' He was the first CM to announce free power supply for the farmers.

His son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, has followed in his father's footsteps and is presently a Member of Parliament. A former union minister, Sukhbir Badal had handled the SAD election campaign. Mr Badal's wife Surinder Kaur had taken an active part in wooing women votes for her husband in his constituency in Lambi.

Mr Badal's daughter, Preneet Kaur, is married to Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon, grandson of prominent former chief minister Pratap Singh Kairon. Adesh has also been elected to the assembly for the third time.

UNI