SAD polls: Sukbhir likely to take over reins of party again
As many as 567 delegates, four each from 117 assembly constituencies in Punjab will cast their vote during the session.
Sukhbir Singh Badal is likely to become the president of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) again during the elections of party office bearers scheduled to be held at Teja Singh Samundri Hall, the headquarters of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in the Golden Temple complex on Saturday.
“The party has no option or any other alternative except making him (Sukhbir) are the president,” said a senior SAD leader, who was not willing to be named.
As many as 567 delegates, four each from 117 assembly constituencies in Punjab will cast their vote during the session.
The elections are being held four months after Akal Takht, in its December 2 decree, asked for a revamp of the party and election of the office-bearers within six months, citing that the present leadership of the party had lost the moral right to lead. The Sikh clergy also constituted a seven-member committee to supervise this process.
However, the faction loyal to Sukhbir Singh Badal carried out the membership drive under the party working committee fearing that taking directions from a religious body may lead to the cancellation of the party’s recognition by the Election Commission of India for violating the Representation of People’s Act.
The move was termed as a violation of the Akal Takht directive by the ‘rebels’ within the party and Sikh segments. Despite this, the Badal faction continued its membership drive and elected its delegates.
Notably, Congress’ Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has written to the Election Commission of India, urging it to direct the SAD to suspend its election process, alleging a “lack of transparency in membership data and intraparty conflict”.
His letter drew a sharp reaction from the SAD leadership, which alleged that Randhawa did so on the directions of party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in league with the rebel Akali faction.
Representatives of various Sikh organisations and activists, including former All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) president Manjit Singh Bhoma, former Damdami Taksal spokesperson Mohkam Singh, Khushhal Singh of Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Balwant Singh Gopala, Paramjit Singh Sahauli and Gurinder Singh Bajwa also wrote a letter to the ECI, stating that a secular party registered with the commission is using the premises of a religious institution and religious worship place for conducting a meeting and holding election terming it ‘highly objectionable’.
