The Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) was a former state of India. It was created out of the merger of several Punjabi princely states on July 15 1948, formally becoming a state of India in 1950. The capital and principal city was Patiala, and the last Maharaja of Patiala, Yadvindra Singh, served as Rajpramukh (equivalent to the Governor)of the state during its short existence. The rajpramukh was appointed by the President of India, but the residents of the state also elected a 60-member state assembly, first elected on January 6 1952. The Congress Party won 26 seats and Akali Dal 19 seats. On November 1 1956, PEPSU was merged into Punjab state. Part of the former state of PEPSU, including the southeastern portion of the state around Jind and the Narnaul exclave, presently lie within the state of Haryana, which was separated from Punjab on 1 November, 1966. {{Indi
