SAD calls meet on April 8, to decide on polls for party chief, office-bearers
Last week, the SAD parliamentary board announced to hold organisational polls of the party from April 2. The election of the district and state delegates was held on April 6.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has called a meeting of the working committee at party headquarters in Chandigarh on April 8 to fix the schedule for general session to elect the new president and office-bearers.
Party leader Daljit Singh Cheema announced this on Sunday on a social platform and added that the party’s working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar would chair the meeting.
Last week, the SAD parliamentary board announced to hold organisational polls of the party from April 2. The election of the district and state delegates was held on April 6.
The process initiated by the party for electing office-bearers and the party president is seen as a clear defiance to the December 2 decree of the Akal Takht that constituted a panel to carry out the party’s recruitment drive and elect new office-bearers within six months.
The party fears that taking directions from a religious body (Akal Takht) may lead to party’s de-recognition and revocation of party’s symbol.
The Akal Takht panel started a membership drive from on March 18 in compliance with the December 2 ‘hukamnama’, aimed at reorganising and reviving the SAD.
As part of the membership drive, led by party’s rebel leaders MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali and Gurpartap Singh Wadala, the party has reportedly inducted over 5 lakh members. The drive will go on for three months, which could be extended further if need arises, the party has stated. It may also launch the drive online to cater to non-resident Punjabis who are willing to become members.
“This (decision of holding elections) was expected soon or later, in a pre-scripted manner. In my opinion, no one is going to accept the decision and the move will prove detrimental to their interest as a panthic party. They are getting trapped in their wrongdoing and own cycle of misdemeanour,” commented Wadala on the development.
