Punjab | Why rebellion is brewing in Shiromani Akali Dal after Lok Sabha elections

A group of senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders have raised a banner of revolt against the party chief, Sukhbir Singh Badal, bringing to the fore fissures in the party following its dismal performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

Resentment had been brewing in Punjab's oldest regional party ever since the SAD candidates forfeited their deposits on 10 of the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies while it emerged victorious on a single seat. Moreover, the party’s vote share, which was 27.45% in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, plummeted to 13.42%.

Discontent after electoral loss

More than 50 Akali leaders held a meeting in Jalandhar earlier this week and spoke about the party's poor performance in the 2022 assembly polls and 2024 general elections under Sukhbir Badal's leadership, demanding his removal as the party chief.

To counter the move, Sukhbir Badal also led a parallel meeting of 96 SAD halqa in-charge (constituency chiefs) in Chandigarh and released a video showing their support in his favour.

The meeting in Jalandhar lasted for over five hours and it was attended by senior SAD leaders like Prem Singh Chandumajra, Sikandar Singh Maluka, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Sarwan Singh Phillaur and Bibi Jagir Kaur. Almost all of these leaders held key portfolios during the previous Akali regime.

This was their second meeting in a span of three days. Interestingly, the leaders said will prefer not to enter the race for the presidentship of SAD and rather search for a Panthic face to lead the party to bring it out of the crisis. Among a few names discussed for the top post were those of Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and Sikh preacher Sewa Singh of Rampur Khera.

‘Akali Dal Bachao’ campaign

After the meeting, Chandumajra shared details about some resolutions passed by the leaders. “We have decided to visit Akal Takht on July 1 and submit a written apology taking collective responsibility for the pardon granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and for not being able to punish those involved in sacrilege incidents,” he said. The leaders also announced their move to embark on a “Shiromani Akali Dal Bachao Lehar” from the Akal Takht. They said a committee would be constituted involving Sikh intelligentsia for finalising the name of the new Akali Dal president.

“Whether Sukhbir Badal resigns by showing ‘tyag di bhawna’ (feeling of sacrifice) or not, the new president would be installed in a week or so,” the leaders announced, adding the people of Punjab had lost faith in Sukhbir. “We could win only one of the 13 Lok Sabha seats and lost security deposit in 10 constituencies,” lamented Dhindsa.

“We held deliberations over what we lost and gained in the past. The party activists are worried about how to rise from the situation we are in. The party chief does not listen to us or make an effort to address the shortcomings,” said former SGPC chief Jagir Kaur, one of the party dissidents present at the conference.

Interestingly, it is not just Jagir Kaur but many other senior leaders, including trusted aides of the late Parkash Singh Badal, like Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Prem Singh Chandumajara, and Sikandar Singh Maluka, who have asked Sukhbir Badal to step down.

Sukhbir on target yet again

The demand to replace Sukhbir Badal was first raised in 2022 after the 13-member Jhunda Committee, headed by Iqbal Singh Jhunda, suggested a change of leadership, a one-family-one-MLA formula, and a two-year term for the party president.

Political analysts opined that Sukhbir was unable to fill the void left by the demise of his father Parkash Singh Badal, a towering personality and five-time chief minister of Punjab. What also came as a jolt to the Akali Dal was the fact that the hardliners like pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh won two Lok Sabha seats in these general elections.

The party's debacle in Lok Sabha polls was also attributed to dissidence sparked by ticket distribution. Many senior party leaders like Dhindsa were annoyed after being denied a party ticket. The silence of Bikram Singh Majithia, Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s brother, over the dissidence and the expulsion of Sukhbir Badal's brother-in-law Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon also speaks volumes about the discontent within the family. In this scenario, keeping the flock together will be a real trial by fire for the party chief.

Badals allege ‘Operation Lotus’

On the other hand, the party’s working committee led by Sukhbir Badal called the rebels’ move “a dangerous conspiracy aimed at disturbing peace and communal harmony” in Punjab, with an intent to “blame it on Sikhs”.

“Shiromani Akali Dal Working Committee reposes complete faith in the leadership of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and urges detractors not to play into the hands of Panth’s enemies. The committee asks the president to lead the efforts to expose conspiracies against the party, Panth and Punjab,” said a statement. Taking to social media platform X, the working committee “cautioned” Panth and Punjabis and stressed that “peace (is) essential for the progress and prosperity of the people”.

Meanwhile, Sukhbir Badal’s wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, lashed out at the BJP over the rebellion within the Akali Dal.

Speaking to the media outside the Parliament in Delhi, the newly elected MP from Bathinda said the BJP is trying to destabilise and break SAD using its “stooges”. She later posted a message on X, along with a video of her speaking to the media in Delhi, claiming that the entire rank and file of the Akali Dal, including 112 of the 117 constituency chiefs and all district presidents, have expressed faith in the leadership of Sukhbir Badal. “Only five leaders are working against the party’s interests as per the game plan of the BJP. The BJP wants to break away our party as they did with other parties in Maharashtra. Their sinister designs will not succeed,” she said.

SAD’s history of splits, mergers

This is not the first time the Shiromani Akali Dal is heading for a split. The party has a long history of splits and mergers.

Akali Dal stalwart and the longest-serving SGPC chief, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, parted ways with Parkash Singh Badal and constituted the Sarv Hind Akali Dal after being expelled from the party. However, the two veterans later reached a reconciliation and Tohra returned to the party fold in 2003.

In 2004, Surjit Kaur Barnala launched the Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal). Prem Singh Chandumajra joined this splinter group after being denied a ticket by the SAD (Badal). He later returned to the SAD fold in 2007, paving the way for the party's merger with the SAD.

Later, senior leaders like late Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Ratan Singh Ajnala, and Seva Singh Sekhawan formed the Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) after being expelled from the party on November 12, 2018.

Another close aide of Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, and his son Parminder Singh Dhindsa set up the Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) in 2020. The Dhindsas were annoyed with the Badals and accused them of ruining the party.

Subsequently, Dhindsa and Brahmpura formed the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sayunkt) in 2020 by merging their respective parties. SAD Sayunkt was finally merged into the Akali Dal on March 5, 2024.