From student leader to power centre in Sangrur
Shiromani Akali Dal
(SAD) formed the govt post-1997, carved a towering presence in Punjab's political landscape, rising from the grassroots of student politics.
A native of Ubhawal village in Sangrur, Dhindsa began his political journey during his college years at Government Ranbir College, Sangrur, in the late 1950s. He was first elected as secretary and later president of the student council. He quickly advanced, becoming the youngest sarpanch in the district at the time.
Dhindsa made his electoral debut in 1972, contesting independently from the Dhanaula assembly constituency (now in Barnala district), where he defeated Rajinder Kaur Bhattal of the Congress.
His rise continued uninterrupted.
In 1977, he shifted to the Sunam assembly seat and was inducted as transport minister in Parkash Singh Badal's cabinet during his first term as CM. Following the 1985 elections, which came in the aftermath of the assassination of SAD president Sant Harchand Singh Longowal following the inking of the Punjab accord, Dhindsa found himself at odds with then CM Surjit Singh Barnala, particularly over the handling of Operation Black Thunder.
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He sided with Parkash Singh Badal, and the episode marked the genesis of a prolonged intra-party feud.
The rivalry between the Barnala and Dhindsa factions played out prominently across the Sangrur region, encompassing present-day Barnala and Malerkotla districts. Dhindsa faced a setback in 1997 when he lost the Sunam seat to Congress' Bhagwan Dass Arora, and two years later, Barnala too was unseated by Simranjit Singh Mann in the Sangrur parliamentary constituency.
While Barnala exited active politics to take up gubernatorial roles, Dhindsa continued his upward trajectory, serving as Union minister for sports and for chemicals and fertilisers in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government.
Factionalism, however, lingered.
After Barnala's retirement, his wife Surjit Kaur Barnala floated the SAD (Longowal), while Dhindsa entrenched his own family's political legacy.
In 2000, he launched his son, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, in a bypoll from Sunam following the death of Bhagwan Dass Arora. Parminder, backed strongly by then CM Parkash Singh Badal, secured a thumping victory and retained the seat in subsequent elections in 2002, 2007, and 2012.
In later years, Dhindsa developed differences with Parkash Singh Badal, leading to the formation of SAD (Sanyukt).
BOX
Returned Padma Bhushan
Backing Farmers | Taking a stand during the farmers' agitation, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa returned his Padma Bhushan in protest against the Centre's now-repealed farm laws.
Sports lover | Apart from being a shrewd politician, Dhindsa was an avid sports lover and had a long stint spanning over four decades with the Punjab Olympics Association in various capacities, including its president. He also remained Union sports minister.
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