Gulzar Singh Ranike

Gulzar Singh Ranike is a political figure from India, representing Punjab. He is a leading member of the organizational hierarchy of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). A former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Attari constituency, he has served as a minister in the Punjab government more than once. Currently, he holds the position of President of the SAD Scheduled Caste (SC) Wing and is the selected leader to conduct membership and organizational elections for the party.

Early Life & Education

Ranike was born on 14 January 1958 in a border village called Ranike in the Amritsar district of Punjab, India. He belongs to the Mazhabi Sikh community, while his father, Late S. Gurmukh Singh, has also been connected with politics in the region through Akali Dal. As per the records kept by his election commission, the level of his formal education is “Literate.”

Political Career

Ranike’s entry into politics began in 1983, when he became the Sarpanch of his village, Ranike. His shift towards state politics came in 1997, when he got elected to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha as a member of Shiromani Akali Dal from the constituency of Attari. He successfully contested the ensuing elections held in 2002, 2007, and 2012. After winning the election in 2007, he took the position of the Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy, Fisheries, Welfare of SCs & BCs, and Sports & Youth Services in the cabinet of Punjab State Government. In 2012 Vidhan Sabha elections, his portfolio remained unchanged except for Sports & Youth Services, which went to the Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The political career of Ranike included five successive elections for the state assembly in Attari (SC) constituency, wherein he won four consecutive terms in 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2012. His first defeat in assembly election occurred in 2017, and he could not succeed in his candidature for the same in the 2022 Punjab Assembly Elections. The party had nominated him for the national parliament from the Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 general elections.

Personal Information

Born on 14 January 1958 at Ranike, Amritsar, Punjab, Gulzar Singh Ranike is married and his wife belongs to the teaching profession. They have two living children. One of their daughters, Ruhaniyat Jot Kaur, died in 2006. His father’s name is Late S. Gurmukh Singh Ranike.

As per his election affidavit, he belongs to the political profession. His assets are over ₹9.55 crore, whereas he does not have any liability. He is also involved in the work of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). He is continuing his association with the Shiromani Akali Dal as its SC Wing leader.

Key Initiatives & Contributions

Ranike has been involved in state government initiatives related to livestock, rural dairy farming, backward classes development, and sports facilities during his ten years as a minister. Recently, he is actively involved in conducting SAD membership drives in Punjab. In addition, he works as an advocate for economic and aviation interests of the Amritsar border region.

Controversy

In September 2012, he had resigned on account of the misuse of ₹2.5 crores allotted under the Border Area Development Programme. However, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau had subsequently exonerated him and found his personal assistant guilty of the charges [India Today]. Following court decisions that rejected his petitions, he was reinstated in the Punjab Cabinet in March 2013 [India Today]. Election affidavits reveal that he has no pending criminal cases.

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[NGN/PK]