By Jaideep Sarin
Chandigarh, Nov 15 (IANS) Wedding bells are ringing for Punjab’s most eligible and powerful bachelor Bikram Singh Majithia, the brother-in-law of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Majithia, the sitting legislator of the Akali Dal from Majitha assembly seat from Amritsar district, is set to tie the knot with a Delhi-based girl Nov 17.

In his mid-30s, Majithia is called ‘Majhe da jarnail’ (the general from Majha - the area north of Beas river in Punjab comprising Amritsar and other districts).

Majithia’s elder sister Harsimrat Kaur, now Lok Sabha MP from Bathinda, is married to Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal.

Given his powerful status in the state and his proximity to the state’s first political family - the Badals, Majithia has a list of events lined up in the next few days to celebrate the biggest wedding in recent times in prosperous Punjab.

The actual wedding to a Sikh girl from a Delhi-based business family takes place in New Delhi Nov 17.

The celebrations start Sunday when Majithia hosts a grand meal for the people of his constituency and from elsewhere in Punjab. The invitees are expected to easily cross the 30,000-mark. Majithia will wrap up the festivities with a big reception for the ‘who’s who’ of the region in Chandigarh Nov 25.

For Sunday’s big meal, a decorative ‘shamiana’ (tent) has been put up in over 13 acres of farm-land near Surian Kalan village in Majitha assembly seat of Amritsar district.

Preparations for the event have been going on for the last few days and even though the rain over the region in the last 24 hours has spoilt some fun, the enthusiasm for the wedding has not receded.

“We have been given an idea of over 30,000 people coming for the big meal in the village. We have made all arrangements. Even if 10,000-15,000 more people come, we will be able to cater to them,” caterer Gursharan Singh said.

The catering teams have been engaged from Delhi and other places.

“We are prepared for the event. We can easily cater to over 50,000 people,” said Dimple Sethi, another caterer.

Ironically, in a state famous for its ‘Tandoori chicken’ and ‘butter chicken’, the meal in the village will be purely vegetarian. Over 100 dishes are being laid out for the rural guests and there are 200 ‘tandoors’ to prepare ‘rotis’.

Over 300 waiters and 3,000 other work-force has been engaged for the mega-event.

Police officials say over 200 VIP guests are also expected to arrive for the village function and adequate security arrangements have been made.

“Nearly 25 gazetted officers and 1,000 security personnel will be stationed at the village venue. VIPs will carry their own security as well. Special parking arrangements are also being made at the venue,” Amritsar district police chief Gurmeet S. Chauhan said.

Singer Gurdas Mann and other celebrities are expected to be present to entertain guests.

For all functions for this high-profile wedding, guests have been requested not to bring any ‘Shagun’ or gifts.

Majithia, who belongs to a prominent business and agricultural family of Majitha area of Amritsar, was inducted as a cabinet minister in Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s government in March 2007 when the Akali Dal assumed office in Punjab.

He was given cabinet status even though he was a first-time legislator. The claim of many other senior Akali Dal leaders for ministerial berths was apparently ignored to accommodate him.

Majithia resigned from the cabinet January this year to make way for brother-in-law Sukhbir Badal to be inducted as Deputy Chief Minister.