Punjab7 hours ago
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Prakash Singh Badal, who was the CM of Punjab for 5 times, got his political understanding convinced even in national politics. After the Babri demolition in 1992, Badal was the only leader from the minority community who stood firm with the BJP. During the year 1996 to 1999, Badal played the most important role in bringing all the regional parties who considered BJP untouchable under the banner of NDA.
Even in Punjab, despite internal opposition from BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal, he did not leave BJP’s side. However, in the last days, the Akali Dal parted ways with the BJP on the issue of decreasing political activism of Badal and the three agricultural laws made by the Center.
Read the stories related to Badal in sequence.
Supported Atalji’s 13 day government
In the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 161 seats across the country. Congress then won 140 seats. When the Akali Dal won 8 out of 13 seats in Punjab, Badal reached Punjab Bhavan in Delhi with his MPs. He met veteran BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said that the Akali Dal is with him.
Omprakash Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) then had 4 MPs in Haryana. At the behest of Badal, Chautala also supported Vajpayee while Shiv Sena was already with BJP. After that Vajpayee became the Prime Minister but could not prove his majority and his government fell in 13 days on 31 May 1996.
did not go with Deve Gowda
On June 1, 1996, the day after Vajpayee’s resignation, 24 small regional parties formed a united front and elected HD Deve Gowda as their leader. Deve Gowda became the Prime Minister with the support of the Congress. After the fall of Vajpayee’s government, many Akali Dal MPs were in favor of going with the United Front but Badal strongly refused. He made it clear that we will not support those who have got the support of the Congress.
In 1998, 13 regional parties were brought together with the BJP by forming the NDA.
Deve Gowda and then IK Gujral’s government could not complete the term and mid-term elections were held in 1998. In that era of Atal-Advani-Joshi, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was formed. Then Badal played the most important role in bringing 13 regional parties across the country under the banner of NDA. In that election, BJP emerged as the single largest party for the second consecutive time with 182 seats and Vajpayee again became the Prime Minister.
Vajpayee remained prime minister for 13 months and lost the trust vote in April 1999 by just one vote. In this tenure of Vajpayee, on May 11, 1998, the second nuclear test was done. In 1999, mid-term elections were held again, after which Vajpayee became the Prime Minister for the third time and this time completed his term. Badal, who played an important role in getting political acceptance to the BJP, was respected by the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all other BJP stalwarts.
First leader of minority community to join BJP with Babri demolition
When the structure of Babri Masjid was demolished in UP in 1992, due to the displeasure of Muslims, leaders of all political parties and minority parties distanced themselves from BJP. Due to the displeasure of the minorities, no party was ready to come with the BJP. At that time, Parkash Singh Badal was the first leader from the minority community to have an alliance with the BJP. Badal, who understood the pulse of politics, had understood that BJP’s future lies ahead.
Former CM Parkash Singh Badal in a laughing manner during the meeting with PM Narendra Modi when he was the Chief Minister.
He used to describe the alliance of BJP and Akali Dal as a bond of flesh and blood, which can never be separated from each other. For this reason, when the BJP government was formed at the Center in 2014 with full majority, Narendra Modi made Badal’s daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal a minister. In the year 2019, Harsimrat again became a minister in the Modi government. However, later due to the farmer’s movement, the Akali Dal broke the alliance with the BJP and Harsimrat resigned.
National politics did not suit, left the post of minister in two and a half months
In March 1977, the Janata Party government was formed at the center under the leadership of Morarji Desai. In that, Prakash Singh Badal was made the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. But, he did not like the politics of the center. After about two and a half months, Badal left the post of Union Minister. After that he never came out of Punjab politics. Became the CM of the state 5 times. Became MLA by winning 10 consecutive elections from long assembly seat in Muktsar district.
Wife scolded for making SP wait
When Parkash Singh Badal became the CM of Punjab for the first time in the year 1970, he was only 43 years old. Prakash Singh Badal himself used to tell that one day he was looking at some files on the terrace of his ancestral house in Badal village. Then the SP of the district came to meet him and he asked to wait. Later, while looking through the files, he forgot it. After about an hour, his wife Surinder Kaur came on the terrace in anger and started scolding saying that such a big officer is waiting below and you are looking at the files here. Badal used to laugh and say that then his wife did not know what was the status of an officer in front of the CM.
Former CM Parkash Singh Badal with wife Surinder Kaur (left), son Sukhbir Badal, son-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal and grandchildren.
After the defeat asked to put a photo of Zelensky
Sukhbir Badal, son of Prakash Singh Badal, says, ‘After the defeat in the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, I went to my father’s room. I told him that we lost. I also forced you to contest the election and you also lost. On this he laughed and said that put a photo of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in my room. Sukhbir asked why so, he told that Ukraine is a small country and Russia is so big. Despite this, he is still fighting. Actually electoral defeat is not permanent.
punctual
It is generally said about politicians that they do not reach anywhere on time. But, on the contrary, Parkash Singh Badal was very punctual. If he had to reach somewhere at 11 o’clock, he would reach there at 10.55. While being the CM or the leader of the opposition, he used to get ready at 7 in the morning so that he could meet the people.
If you were angry, you would smile or get up and walk away
Prakash Singh Badal’s political understanding was very deep. Unlike today’s politicians who show off in public, Badal was always calm. Balwinder Singh Bhundad, a senior leader who spent a long time with him in the Akali Dal, says that he never saw Badal Saheb getting angry. If someone used to get angry, he would not say anything to him, but would himself get up and leave. If he ever got angry, he would have hidden it by smiling. Even when he was the Chief Minister, his attitude was exactly the same. Whenever a journalist would ask him a tough question, he would laugh and say ‘Chhaddo kaka ji, puraniyan gallan’ (leave the old things).
Former CM Badal’s self. Had a deep friendship with Devi Lal Chautala. For this reason, he had family relations with the Chautala family.
Devilal fulfilled the duty of his father
The families of Prakash Singh Badal and former Deputy Prime Minister of the country Tau Devi Lal have a deep relationship. Prakash Singh Badal’s only daughter, Preneet Kaur, was married to Adesh Pratap Kairon, grandson of former Congress leader and Punjab CM Pratap Singh Kairon. During that period of Emergency, Badal was lodged in a jail in South India. The family members went to him and said that in the name of daughter’s marriage he would get parole easily and he could attend the marriage. But Badal refused to take parole saying that my elder brother Devi Lal is in Haryana. He will perform all the rituals in my place in the marriage. Then Devi Lal did the Kanyadaan of Badal’s daughter.
When Modi called him Nelson Mandela
In the year 2015, on the 113th birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan, the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed him as the ‘Nelson Mandela of India’ in the presence of Parkash Singh Badal. According to a report in Indian Express, PM Modi said, ‘Badal Saheb is sitting here. He is the Nelson Mandela of India. The only crime of people like Badal Saheb was that his views were different from those in power.
Also read these news related to Prakash Singh Badal:-
Prakash Singh Badal passes away, 2 days national mourning: Last darshan in Chandigarh, PM Modi will reach in a while; there will be a funeral tomorrow
Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal passed away on Tuesday night at the age of 95. He was admitted to Fortis Hospital in Mohali on April 16 after complaining of shortness of breath, where he breathed his last at 7.42 pm on April 25. (Read full news)
Former CM’s body on the journey of ‘Badal’, PHOTOS: Majithia on the driving seat of the ambulance, accompanied by Sukhbir Badal; Will reach village in evening
The family has left for Badal village carrying the mortal remains of Prakash Singh Badal, who was CM of Punjab for 5 times. His body is being carried in an ambulance bedecked with flowers. Akali leader Bikram Majithia is driving this ambulance. (Read full news)
Badal had launched Sangat Darshan for mass mobilization: Focal point-dairy farm shell spread ‘light’ of development in villages
The political career of Prakash Singh Badal, who played the longest innings of Chief Minister in Punjab, started from the village level. He did not directly reach the post of Chief Minister, but reached the assembly through the rural parliament. read full news
End of an era in Punjab’s politics: Father of politics and pivot of cult politics
An era came to an end with the death of Prakash Singh Badal, known as the father of Punjab politics and the pivot of cult politics, on Tuesday late evening. Parkash Singh Badal, five-time Punjab CM and one-time agriculture minister in the central government, passed away at the age of 95. (Read full news)