Chandigarh, March 20 -- Former IAS officer Kanwaljeet Singh Cheema joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday in the presence of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal here. Hailing from Moonak, a town in Sangrur district, Cheema, a 1993-batch West Bengal cadre IAS officer, is considered a close confidante of the Badals. Cheema had served as special principal secretary to the former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on inter-cadre deputation for nearly 10 years and also held various administrative positions in the state government. In addition, he held key positions, including secretary to the Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee and additional principal secretary to the West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee. After inducting him into the party, Sukhbir said Cheema's joining will further strengthen the SAD. "It's a moment of pride to have an officer of Cheema's calibre join the SAD. Cheema has an illustrious career and possesses vast knowledge and experience," Sukhbir said. HTC...