Former Punjab Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal Dies at 94

September 10, 2026

Jalandhar, Punjab: Former Punjab Cabinet Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal, father of Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Mohinder Bhagat, died on Thursday morning at the age of around 94. He breathed his last at his residence in the Basti area of Jalandhar. His last rites will be performed at around 5 p.m. at the Basti Sheikh cremation ground.

The Punjab government has announced a half-day holiday in government offices on Thursday as a mark of respect following the death of the former minister.

Bhagat Chunni Lal had served as a Cabinet Minister in the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) coalition government. He was born on December 1, 1932, in Sialkot, now in Pakistan. After the Partition, his family settled in Jalandhar. He was involved in the business of exporting sports goods.

He is survived by four sons and four daughters. He remained a prominent political face in Jalandhar West for several years. He won his first election in 1997 and entered the Punjab Assembly. He retired from politics in 2017.

Began Electoral Journey as Independent Candidate in 1985

Bhagat Chunni Lal began his political journey by contesting the 1985 election from the Jalandhar South seat as an independent candidate. However, he could not win the election. He later joined the BJP.

In 1997, he won the Jalandhar South seat for the first time and entered the Punjab Assembly.

In 2007, he was elected MLA from the same seat for the second time. Following delimitation, the constituency became Jalandhar West. In the 2012 Punjab Assembly elections, he contested from Jalandhar West as a BJP candidate and won again.

Also Served as Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly

During his political career, Bhagat Chunni Lal held several important positions. In 2011, following the resignation of Satpal Gosain, he was elected Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

From 2012 to 2017, he served as a Cabinet Minister in the Punjab government led by Parkash Singh Badal.

During this period, he handled the portfolios of Local Bodies, Medical Education and Research, Labour, and Forest and Wildlife.

He also served as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party in the Punjab Assembly from 2012 to 2017. He later decided not to contest the 2017 Assembly elections.