Chandigarh: In a significant realignment within Punjab’s political landscape, retired Major Bhupinder Singh Dhillon, first cousin and longtime associate of the late former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, formally crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party alongside his son Amarvir Singh Bawa. The induction ceremony took place at Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s official residence in Chandigarh, drawing key regional party figures and marking a symbolic dent in the family networks traditionally anchored to the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Major Bhupinder Singh, whose late father Gurraj Singh Badal once served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, has spent decades within state governance, previously serving as a political secretary with junior minister rank during past coalition administrations. His son Amarvir currently presides over the municipal council in Sanaur. Following the event, the veteran leader pointed to the central administration’s development focus as his primary motivation to step back into active public life, affirming that his transition carried no personal friction with nephew Sukhbir Singh Badal while indicating his intention to re-adopt the Badal surname for his political activities.
Party leaders have characterized the high-profile joining as an important step toward expanding independent support across the crucial Malwa heartland ahead of the next legislative assembly campaign. Senior officials emphasized plans to mount a comprehensive statewide contest, campaigning heavily on industrial modernization, youth employment generation, grassroots athletic programs, and aggressive enforcement against narcotics networks.
