Panth Rattan Shiri Gurcharan Singh Tohra was a president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), a Sikh body in charge of controlling Gurdwara. He died of a heart attack in New Delhi on 1 April 2004 at the age of 79. He remained the head of the SGPC for a record 27 years, and was one of the most influential and controversial Sikh leaders of the 20th century.
The Punjabi Suba movement was a long-drawn political agitation, launched by Punjabi speaking people demanding the creation of autonomous Punjabi Suba, or Punjabi-speaking state, in the post-independence Indian state of East Punjab. The movement is defined as the forerunner of Khalistan movement.
Baldev Singh was an Indian Sikh political leader, he was an Indian independence movement leader and the first Defence Minister of India. Moreover, he represented the Punjabi Sikh community in the processes of negotiations that resulted in the independence of India, as well as the Partition of India in 1947.
Master Tara Singh was an Indian Sikh political and religious figure in the first half of the 20th century. He was instrumental in organising the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee and guiding the Sikhs during the partition of India, which he strongly opposed. He later led their demand for a Sikh-majority state in East Punjab. His daughter, the Indian journalist and politician Rajinder Kaur, was killed by Khalistani militants in Bathinda. In 2018, his great granddaughter in law mentioned that Master Tara Singh’s “dream of an autonomous Sikh state in India remains unfulfilled.”
Jagmeet Singh Brar is an Indian politician, lawyer, writer and poet who belonged to the Shiromani Akali Dal. He represents the Lokhit Abhiyan political party.
Politics in reorganised present-day Punjab is dominated by mainly three parties – Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal). Since 1967, Chief Minister of Punjab has been predominantly from Jat Sikh community despite its 21 percent state population. Exceptions are Giani Zail Singh, the Chief Minister of Punjab from 17 March 1972 to 30 April 1977 belonging to Ramgarhia community that has population of 6 percent and is a part of significant OBC community having population of 31.3 percent in the state and Charanjit Singh Channi who held the position for 111 days from 20 September 2021 to 16 March 2022 and was from Scheduled Caste(Dalit) who have 32 percent population in the state. Other prominent party is Bahujan Samaj Party especially in Doaba region founded by Kanshi Ram of Rupnagar district. In 1992 BSP won 9 seats Vidhan Sabha elections. Also BSP won 3 lok sabha seats from Punjab in 1996 general elections and only Garhshanker seat in 1997 Vidhan Sabha elections. Communist parties too have some influence in the Malwa area. In the 2014 general elections, the first-time contesting Aam Aadmi Party got 4 out of 13 seats in Punjab by winning 34 of the total 117 assembly segments, coming second in 7, third in 73 and fourth in the rest 3 segments. The support for the Aam Aadmi Party increased later in Punjab. The current Government was elected in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections and the AAP won 92 out of 117 Assembly seats with Bhagwant Mann as the Chief Minister. The Congress flows down to get only 18 seats.
Prem Singh Chandumajra is General Secretary and spokesman of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and former Member of Parliament from Anandpur Sahib and former constituency MP from Patiala seat. He is also an alumnus of Punjabi University, Patiala. He was a Member of Parliament in 11th, 12th and now of 16th Lok Sabha. He won with a low margin from Himmat Singh Shergill and Ambika Soni, who put up a tough fight.
Sardar Gian Singh Rarewala was an Indian politician and the first Chief Minister of the former Indian state of Patiala and East Punjab States Union.
Parminder Singh Dhindsa is an Indian politician and belongs to the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) Political Party. He was a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal until late 2019. He is currently MLA from Lehra and was leader of Shiromani Akali Dal Legislature group in Punjab Legislative Assembly until he quit. He was Minister for Finance & Planning (2012-2017) and Minister for Public Works (B&R) (2007-2012) in the previous Punjab Government. He is son of Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. He was first elected as MLA of Sunam in September 2000 by defeating Parmeshwari Devi of Congress during the by-election. He was re-elected as an MLA for the fifth consecutive term in 2017 with his tenure since 2000 to 2012 from Sunam and from 2017 onwards from Lehra Constituency. He is triumphant in his entire career since 2000.
The Patiala and East Punjab States Union Legislative Assembly was the unicameral state-level legislative body of the Patiala and East Punjab States Union in India. Two elections to the assembly were held; one in 1951 and the second one in 1954. The assembly had 60 seats. The assembly used to meet at the Durbar (Court) of Qila Mubarak, the royal fort at Patiala.
The list of members of political families of Punjab, India
Parkash Singh Badal was an Indian politician who served as the 8th Chief Minister of Punjab from 1970 to 1971, from 1977 to 1980, from 1997 to 2002, and from 2007 to 2017. He was also Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly from 1972 to 1977, 1980 to 1983 and from 2002 to 2007 and the 11th Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare in the Morarji Desai ministry from 1977 to 1977. He was the patron of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a Sikh-centered regional political party, and the president of the party from 1995 to 2008, when he was replaced by his son Sukhbir Singh Badal. As the patron of SAD he exercised a strong influence on the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. The Government of India awarded him the second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2015.
Akali Dal – Sant Fateh Singh Group was one of several hard-line splinter groups founded by Sant Fateh Singh. Akali Dal – Sant Fateh Singh was formed in 1962. It is led by Sant Fateh Singh. The party was a Sikh-centered political party in the Indian state of Punjab. The party was created due to disagreement between Master Tara Singh and Sant Fateh Singh. The party gained control of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee in October 1962. In the Gurdwara elections in January 1965, the party annexed 90 of the seats, while Master Tara Singh's party could manage only 45. In 1967 during Punjab Legislative Assembly election Party got 24 seats and with the support of other Parties and Independents under the leadership of Gurnam Singh formed People's United Front and the government but resigned after defection by Lachhman Singh Gill and then both factions merged and formed Shiromani Akali Dal on 7 October 1968 at Khadur Sahib.
The Interim East Punjab Assembly was a unicameral governing and law making body of the newly formed Indian state of East Punjab.
The 1952 Punjab Legislative Assembly election were the First Vidhan Sabha elections of the state when the Indian National Congress emerged as the largest party with 96 seats in the 126-seat legislature in the election. The Shiromani Akali Dal became the official opposition, holding 13 seats.
People's United Front was a Post Poll Alliance of 7 Political parties and Independents formed in a Convention at Khanna on 4 March 1967, in Punjab after the election of 1967.
The 1962 Punjab Legislative Assembly election was the Third Vidhan Sabha election of the state when the Indian National Congress emerged as the largest party with 90 seats in the 154-seat legislature in the election. The Shiromani Akali Dal became the official opposition, holding 16 seats. From 5 July 1966 to 1 November 1966, Assembly was under suspension.
The 1967 Punjab Legislative Assembly election was the Fourth Vidhan Sabha election of the state. This was the first hung assembly. Indian National Congress emerged as the largest party with 48 seats in the 104-seat legislature in the election. The Akali Dal - Sant Fateh Singh became the second, holding 24 seats. On 28 August 1968, Assembly dissolved prematurely and president rule was imposed.
The 1969 Punjab Legislative Assembly election was the fifth Vidhan Sabha election of the state. This was the second hung assembly. Shiromani Akali Dal emerged as the largest party with 43 seats in the 104-seat legislature in the election. The Indian National Congress became the second, holding 38 seats. On 13 June 1971, Assembly dissolved prematurely and president rule was imposed.
The 1972 Punjab Legislative Assembly election was the sixth Vidhan Sabha election of the state. Indian National Congress emerged as the victorious party with 66 seats in the 104-seat legislature in the election. The Shiromani Akali Dal became the official opposition, holding 24 seats. On 30 April 1977, Assembly dissolved and president rule was imposed.
