less than a fortnight after the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) helped its alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bag six seats in Punjab, Narendra Modi-led NDA Government on Monday awarded the party’s senior leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal with a Cabinet berth.
A second-time MP, Harsimrat has got the Union Ministry of Food Processing. it is expected to reap benefits for the farming community of the agrarian state like Punjab.
Attired in elegant cream suit with saffron dupatta, Bathinda MP took oath in English as a Cabinet Minister to become the first female parliamentarian from the State to be a full-fledged cabinet minister in the Union Council of Ministers in the recallable past.
Daughter-in-law of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and wife of SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who were also present during the swearing-in ceremony that took place in the national capital, Harsimrat’s induction in the Union Cabinet is expected to give voice to the
state’s concerns.
After wining Bathinda seat for the second consecutive term by a meager margin of just around 20000 votes, her entry as a Cabinet Minister may have come as a solace, at least to some extent, to the Badal family.
During 2014 general elections, Harsimrat faced opposition by Badal’s estranged nephew Manpreet Badal, that lower her more than lakh votes lead, during 2009 polls, to a
few thousands.
Harsimrat won Bathinda seat during her first lok Sabha in 2009 outing by defeating former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s son Raninder Singh by 1.2
lakh votes.
Considering that SAD managed to bag just four seats out of the 10 it contested in alliance with the BJP at the time when the nation was swept my Modi-wave and SAD-BJP alliance is in power in the state, the saffron party has decided to satisfy its alliance partner in Punjab with just one cabinet berth. In fact, Harsimrat is the only MP from the state to be inducted in
the Cabinet.
Besides her, the names of Akali stalwarts — Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahampura, and Sri Anandpur Sahib MP Prem Singh Chandumajra — have been doing rounds, besides BJP’s Vinod Khanna.
During the past week, the Badal father-son duo had held several meetings with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Rajnath Singh, senior BJP stalwart lal Krishan Advani, besides who’s who of the BJP, probably lobbying hard to secure a cabinet berth for
the party.
Born on July 25, 1966, Harsimrat has proved her might as a forceful speaker during her previous term as Bathinda MP participating in almost every debate.
She has been active in the previous lok Sabha, and took up the issues concerning Punjab, and Sikh issues in particular. Among various issues which Harsimrat had raised during her first term in the Parliament, 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the turban issue, and the state’s farmers issue have been the major ones.
Born in a family that traces its roots to Attar Singh Majithia, a prominent general in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army, 47-year-old Cabinet Minister has been graduated from Delhi University and pursued textile designing for three years after her college.
Even as Harsimrat has no administrative experience, it is expected that making up to this would not be a daunting task for her considering her greater enthusiasm, and a
young leader.
During his first tenure as parliamentarian, Harsimrat has went to become a popular face in the state politics, and the one who had been taking the state’s issues in a strong voice during the two-term long Congress-led UPA government’s regime.
Despite being a member of Badal family, Harsimrat established her own identity not only in the politics, but in several social activities too.
She has been associated with the ‘Nanhi Chhaan’ Foundation which works for the rights of the girl child and women empowerment. Her other social activities include running a school for street children in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj, supporting old age homes and sponsoring medical treatment for needy children.
Harsimrat had also worked as a merchandiser in a buying agency. She comes from the Majithia family of Punjab which has business interests in distilleries and aviation.
Before becoming MP in 2009, Harsimrat had led a quiet family life with her three children who study in New Delhi, away from active politics. Currently running a jewellery business in the upscale Trident Hotel in Gurgaon, she is also associated with vast business empire set up by her husband in the fields of hotels, media and agriculture.