The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Why Akali Dal rebels are gunning for Sukhbir Badal
EVER SINCE the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was ousted from power in Punjab in 2017 after two successive terms, its president Sukhbir Singh Badal has been facing dissension in the party. A section of Akali Dal leaders have periodically questioned Sukhbir's leadership as well as the Badal family's control over the party. Three weeks after the SAD’S debacle in the Lok Sabha elections, the simmering discontent in the party flared Tuesday, when a group of senior party leaders passed a resolution to seek Sukhbir’s resignation.
What led to the revolt ?
In the multi-cornered battle in the recent Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, the Akali Dal, contesting separately from its erstwhile ally BJP, faced another rout as it managed to win just one seat out of 13 as against the Congress's seven and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'S three, with the remaining two seats won by Independent candidates — radical preacher Amritpal Singh from Khadoor Sahib and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa (son of Indira Gandhi assassin Beant Singh) from Faridkot.
EX-MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, once-loyalist Sikander Singh Maluka, former SGPC president Jagir Kaur, and other prominent Akali faces held a meeting in Jalandhar, which passed a resolution demanding Sukhbir step down.
The premises of the SAD rebels' huddle, which belonged to Barjinder Singh Hamdard of the Aj it group of newspapers, has also triggered a buzz about ham dar d' s possible role, although a senior Akali leader ruled it out.
How is this rebellion different?
Akali veterans Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and late Ranjit Singh Brahmpura were among the first group of party leaders who had come out in open against Sukhbir after the party’s debacle in the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, when the congress clinched it and returned to power. While Brahampura returned to the SAD in the run-up to 2022 punjab polls, Dhindsa followed suit ahead of the recent Lok Sabha polls.
The current revolt, however, seems to be more organised and larger in scale with several Akali leaders including Chandumajra, Maluka and Gurpartap Singh Wadala joinng Dhindsa and Jagir Kaur to demand changes in the party’s leadership. The rebels also include leaders from the families of several
Akali stalwarts who have died, such as Master Tara Singh, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Jagdev Singh Talwandi and Surjit Singh Barnala. They have announced “Akali Dal Bachao Muhim” (Save Akali Dal campaign) to reconnect with those Sikhs who they believe have stopped supporting the party.
Who are key dissidents?
Chandumajra, who lost the Lok Sabha election from Anandpur Sahib, has been upset over the SAD'S statement that a resolution “reposing full faith” in Sukhbir's leadership had been passed in the core committee meeting held after the poll rout.
Maluka, who had signed the expulsion of Jagir Kaur in November 2022 as the chief of the SAD'S disciplinary panel, was removed from his post recently. His daughter-in-law Parampal Kaur Sidhu contested on the BJP ticket from Bathinda in the Lok Sabha polls. While Maluka stayed away from it, he put out a video ahead of the polls praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Who are backing Sukhbir?
Several staunch loyalists of the Badal family – including former Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema and senior party leader Maheshinder Singh Grew al–are among the sad leaders who have continued to rally behind Sukhbir's leadership.
How is SAD crisis playing out?
The bad al family' s loyalists are blaming the BJP forth eS AD' S crisis. h ar sim rat has called the rebels alleged “stooges” of the BJP. Several state leaders of the Congress as well as thebjp believe that the SAD plays a “pivotal role” in checking the emergence of the Sikh radicalism in the sensitive, border state. They say that due to a weakened aka lid al, sikh“hard liners” like War is Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa won in the LS polls.