Parkash Badal not to accept pension as former-MLA

Chandigarh, Mar 17 (PTI) SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday announced that he will not accept pension as an ex-MLA and asked the Punjab government to use it for the welfare of the state's people.

The five-team chief minister was defeated from his home constituency Lambi in the recently-concluded Punjab assembly polls by AAP's Gurmeet Singh Khuddian.

"I request @PunjabGovtIndia and Hon'ble Speaker that whatever pension accrues to me as ex-MLA may please be used for the interests of the people of Punjab (Lok hitaan vaaste). It should in no case be sent to me. Formal request in writing being sent separately -- Parkash S Badal, former CM," according to a tweet by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Badal (94) has been MLA for 11 times and won his first election from Malout seat in 1957. He had won the Gidderbaha seat five times -- 1969, 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1985.  Thereafter, he switched over to Lambi and won it five times in a row in 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017. PTI CHS VSD ANB ANB