Bhagat Chunni Lal, former state minister and a BJP veteran, known largely for his clean and non-controversial image, passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness. He was 94.His son, Mohinder Bhagat, is a state Cabinet minister in the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government.The demise of Chunni Lal Bhagat marks the end of an era in Punjab politics. Following his death, condolences poured in from across the political spectrum, while the AAP government declared a half-day holiday as a mark of respect.Chunni Lal served as the Local Bodies Minister in the Prakash Singh Badal-led Akali-BJP government and held several other portfolios, besides serving as Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.The Bhagat family remained associated with BJP in the Jalandhar West constituency for more than three decades, before Chunni Lal’s son, Mohinder Bhagat, joined AAP in 2023.Bhagat Senior was part of a BJP trio that collectively held sway over the electorates of Jalandhar’s three urban constituencies — West, North and Central — for a considerable period.Displaced from Pakistan during Partition, Chunni Lal was born in Sialkot and settled in Jalandhar with his family. He later went on to become a successful sports businessman.Chunni Lal began his political career by contesting the 1985 election as an independent candidate, but lost. He subsequently joined BJP and won the Jalandhar South seat, as Jalandhar West was then known, in 1997 and 2007. Following delimitation, he won the Jalandhar West constituency in 2012.In 2023, his son Mohinder Bhagat joined AAP and emerged victorious in the 2024 election. He was inducted into the Punjab Cabinet later that year.Chunni Lal remained a loyal BJP member despite his son’s dramatic shift to the AAP in 2023. He is understood to have expressed his emotional misgivings to party colleagues following Mohinder’s sudden departure from BJP.However, in a departure from tradition, Chunni Lal later campaigned for his son and sought votes for him during the 2024 election.Chunni Lal Bhagat was respected for his non-confrontational and conciliatory style of politics, as well as for his characteristic restraint in the face of opposition.Following Chunni Lal Bhagat’s demise, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wrote on X:“Received the sad news of the passing of former Minister and senior leader from Jalandhar, Chunni Lal Bhagat Ji. He was the respected father of my colleague in the Punjab Cabinet, Sh. Mohinder Bhagat Ji. In this hour of grief, my deepest condolences are with Mohinder Bhagat Ji and his entire family. May the Almighty grant the departed noble soul a place at His holy feet and give the family the strength to bear this loss.”SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also shared a post on X featuring a photograph of Chunni Lal Bhagat with former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.He wrote:“Deeply saddened by the demise of former Punjab Minister and senior leader Sh. Chunni Lal Bhagat Ji. His long public service and contribution to Punjab will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his son Mohinder Bhagat and the entire bereaved family. May Gurusahab grant eternal peace to the departed soul.”Senior BJP leader and former state minister Manoranjan Kalia wrote:“I am shocked to hear the news of the sudden demise of former Punjab Minister and senior BJP leader, Sh. Bhagat Chunni Lal Ji. He was elected three times as MLA from the Jalandhar South/West constituency. We both had the opportunity to work together for the development of Jalandhar city and raised a number of questions in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. His death is a great loss to the BJP and a personal loss to me, as he guided me many times on the current political situation when we both represented Jalandhar in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. His demise is an irreparable loss for the BJP and his family. May the Almighty give the bereaved family the strength to bear this irreparable loss. May the departed soul rest in peace.”