This suave Akali has moved out of his father’s shadow

While the party’s old guard questioned Parminder Singh Dhindsa’s move to contest Lok Sabha election from Sangrur, many in SAD praised him for coming to the party’s rescue in its tough times and keeping aside his father’s grouse against the top leadership.

Former Punjab finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa (45) has chosen to fight the Lok Sabha elections on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket against the advice of his father Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, a leader from the party’s old guard.

Parminder Singh Dhindsa is the Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat. (HT Photo)

Suave and soft-spoken, the five-time MLA went with party president Sukhbir Singh Badal by agreeing to debut in the parliamentary elections from Sangrur, considered his family stronghold, where he has already started an aggressive campaign.

While the party’s old guard questioned his move, many in SAD praised him for coming to the party’s rescue in its tough times and keeping aside his father’s grouse against the top leadership.

Dhindsa senior last year had asked Sukhbir to step down as SAD chief for letting the party down, triggering a revolt that led to the expulsion of three Taksali leaders from Majha.

An MBA (master’s in business administration) in finance from Punjabi University, Patiala, Parminder is president of the Cycling Federation of India. He wears branded clothes and usually vacations with family in New Zealand.

In 2012, he was made finance minister. In the previous Akali-BJP government from 2007 to 12, he was public works department (PWD) minister.

But it will not be a cakewalk for him as the 2015 sacrilege and police firing at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura still continue to haunt his party.

“I feel confident after 20 days of campaign. I have been actively campaigning in the parliamentary polls since 2004,” he said

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