Chandigarh, Sept. 14 -- Major Bhupinder Singh Dhillon (retd), cousin of former Punjab chief minister and Akali patriarch late Parkash Singh Badal, joined the BJP in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon here on Monday.

Dhillon served as Badal's political secretary for 25 years.

His father, late Gurraj Singh Dhillon, served as a Rajya Sabha Member from 1952 to 1958, representing the Shiromani Akali Dal, and played an important role in Badal's early political journey, according to a BJP statement.

Bhupinder Dhillon served in the Indian Army and participated in the 1971 India-Pakistan War. He continued his military service until 1988.

He has been associated with election campaigns since 1994 and has remained actively involved with the people of the Lambi constituency, maintaining a long-standing connect with the area.

His joining the BJP is a significant addition to the party's organisational and political strength in Punjab, particularly in the Malwa region, the statement said.

The Haryana chief minister welcomed Dhillon and his son Amarveer Singh into the BJP.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.