Harsimrat Kaur Badal Secures Fourth Term In Bathinda: A Triumph For Women In Politics
Harsimrat Kaur Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has secured her fourth consecutive term as a Member of Parliament from Bathinda, defeating her nearest rival, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nominee Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, by a margin of 49,656 votes. According to the Election Commission, Harsimrat polled 376,558 votes while Khuddian received 326,902 votes in the Lok Sabha Election 2024.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, born on 25 July 1966, is a prominent Indian politician and former Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing Industries in the Government of India. She has been a steadfast member of the Shiromani Akali Dal party. Her political career began with a resounding victory in the 2009 Indian general election from the Bathinda constituency, defeating Indian National Congress candidate Raninder Singh by 120,960 votes.
Throughout her career, Harsimrat has been an advocate for social issues, notably launching the “Nanhi Chhan” project in 2008 to combat female foeticide, promote women’s empowerment, and environmental conservation. The initiative has had a significant impact across schools, colleges, and religious institutions in Punjab, providing vocational training to women in rural areas.
Her dedication to public service and her constituents has earned her consecutive victories in 2014, 2019, and now in 2024. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, she defeated the Congress-People’s Party of Punjab joint candidate, Manpreet Singh Badal. Her 2019 victory saw her overcoming a close contest against Congress candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring by a margin of around 21,000 votes. Harsimrat served as the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries until September 2020, when she resigned in protest against the government’s farm bills. Despite this, her influence and popularity have remained strong, culminating in her latest electoral triumph.
Beyond politics, Harsimrat and her family have substantial business interests. They are involved in various ventures, including Orbit Resorts, Metro Eco Green Resorts, Saanjh Foundation, Falcon Properties, Dabwali Transport, and Orbit Aviation. Additionally, her husband, Sukhbir Singh Badal, holds a majority stake in the Punjabi language PTC television network, and her maternal family controls Saraya Industries, Ajnala Power, and Batala Power.
