Chandigarh: Major Bhupinder Singh Dhillon Badal, a close relative of the late Parkash Singh Badal, who served for 25 years as Political Secretary to the former Punjab Chief Minister and as a Minister in the Akali government from 1997 to 2002, on Monday, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the leadership of State party President Kewal Singh Dhillon, in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.
His father, late Gurraj Singh Dhillon Badal, served as a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from 1952 to 1958, representing the Shiromani Akali Dal, and played an important role in the early political journey of Parkash Singh Badal.
Major Bhupinder Singh Dhillon Badal served in the Indian Army and actively participated in the 1971 India-Pakistan War. He continued his military service until 1988.
He has been associated with election campaigns since 1994 and has remained actively involved with the people of the Lambi Assembly constituency, maintaining a long-standing connect with the area and its people.
His joining the BJP is being seen as a significant addition to the party’s organisational and political strength in Punjab, particularly in the Malwa region.
In another major boost to the BJP in the Sanour Assembly constituency, Pradeep Joshan, Sanour President of the Municipal Committee, Sangathan In-charge of the Sanour Assembly constituency and State Secretary of the SC Wing of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), joined the BJP along with his supporters.
The joining assumes significance as several prominent political leaders, office-bearers and social activists from Sanour also joined the BJP along with Pradeep Joshan.
Among the prominent leaders who joined the BJP were Swaran Singh, President of the SC Wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal’s Malwa Zone; Rajat Batish, Narotam Bhatnagar, Barinder Batish, Rohit Walia, Aashish Gaur, Manav, Sanjeev Kumar, Dinesh Sharma, Kamal Walia, Yaah Kumar, Vijay Kumar Bhardwaj and Parminder Bhardwaj.
A number of prominent social activists associated with the Sanour Samaj Kalyan Club also joined the BJP. They included Varinder Singh, Harminder Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Gurbir Singh, Mandeep Singh, Davinder Singh, Gurvir Battu and Gurvinder Singh.
Welcoming Pradeep Joshan and the other new members into the BJP fold, Dhillon said that the joining of prominent political and social workers reflects the growing faith of people in the BJP’s policies and leadership.
He said that the BJP would continue to work with commitment for the development of Punjab and the welfare of every section of society.
The entry of Pradeep Joshan and a large number of his supporters is expected to further strengthen the BJP’s organisational base and grassroots presence in the Sanour Assembly constituency.
(I
