Amarinder Singh

(4.00 out of 5)

Captain Amarinder Singh, the former Chief Minister of Indian state of Punjab,is well-known as the titular Maharaja of Patiala. Born on March 11, 1942, to former Maharaja of Patiala His Highness Yadavindra Singh and Her Highness Mohinder Kaur (Rajmata of Patiala) is currently the President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

Personal life –

Captain Amarinder Singh took birth before the independence of India, in 1942, and did his schooling from the Welham Boys’ School and Lawrence School Sanawar. Then he was moved to the famous Doon School in Dehradun.

His wife is Preneet Kaur, who represents the Patiala constituency and serving as Minister of State in the External Affairs Ministry. He has two children “ son Yuvraj Raninder Singh and daughter Jai Inder Kaur”.

Political career –

Amarinder Singh began his political career by winning the parliamentary election on an Indian National Congress (INC) ticket in the year 1980. But, four years after in 1984, he resigned from the Lok Sabha as well as from the Congress party as a protest against the Army’s action in Golden Temple in Operation Blue Star. He then joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and became a convenor of the Sikh Forum.

He was elected to the state legislature on SAD ticket and became a minister for Agriculture, Forest, Development and Panchayats. But, he later broke away from the Akali Dal and formed a new group called Shiromani Akali Dal (Panthic). However, the group later merged with the Indiuan National Congress.

He served Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee as President from 1999 to 2002 and became the Chief Minister of the state from 2002 to 2007.

In 2008, he got expelled by a special committee of Punjab Vidhan Sabha on the count of alleged regularities in the transfer of land related to the Amritsar Improvement Trust. However, the Supreme Court of India later held his expulsion from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha unconstitutional on the grounds that it was excessive. In 2009, he was elected the chairman of Punjab Congress Committee for the second time.

Writer –

Amarinder Singh is a prolific writer. He has written a number of books on war and Sikh history, including A Ridge Too Far; Lest We Forget; The Last Sunset; and Rise & Fall of Lahore Durbar.