Punjab CM Prakash Bada’s baby brother, 85-year-old Gurdas Badal, commonly referred to as “Daas”, has decided to quit, citing poor health. “I am not even interested in politics. I never wanted to contest any election. It’s time for the younger generation to work and achieve success. Manpreet is a hard worker. I wish him good luck,” said Gurdas here Wednesday.

MUKTSAR – Gurdas Singh Badal, father of PPP chief-turned-Congress leader Manpreet Singh Badal and younger brother of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, has decided to hang up his political boots, saying no to active politics. He had contested the Assembly elections against his brother on the PPP ticket from Lambi in 2012.

Gurdas (85), commonly referred to as “Daas”, decided to quit, citing poor health.

“I am not even interested in politics. I never wanted to contest any election. It’s time for the younger generation to work and achieve success. Manpreet is a hard worker. I wish him good luck,” said Gurdas here Wednesday.

On January 30, Gurdas felt uneasy during his visit to Chak Badal village in Rajasthan. He was thereafter admitted to a hospital in Mohali for a few days.

On Manpreet’s possibility to contest the election on the Congress ticket against his uncle Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi, Gurdas said, “Manpreet never said he was willing to contest from Lambi. However, in reply to a query that would he contest from Lambi, Manpreet had said he would contest from anywhere the party asked.”

On being asked whether he has also joined the Congress, octogenarian Gurdas ducked the query. Earlier, Gurdas used to be the election incharge of Parkash Singh Badal.

Recalling the old days, he said, “Though I never became a minister in the Badal sahib’s government, I handled two to three departments and he never interfered in my working.”

On his last meeting with his elder brother, Gurdas said, “I don’t remember when we met last time.”

Earlier in 2014, Maheshinder Singh Badal, an estranged cousin of Parkash Singh Badal, had said he would not contest the Assembly elections anymore. Maheshinder was a Congress candidate against Badal brothers – Parkash Singh Badal (SAD) and Gurdas Singh Badal (PPP) in the 2012 polls.