Use party platform to express views, SAD appeals to rebels
SAD vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema says those opposing party president have rejected the Jhundan committee report and have never abided by the “one-family, one-ticket” norm.
Two days after a section of senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders revolted against its chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and asked him to step down over the party’s drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections, SAD vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema on Thursday appealed to the disgruntled leaders to use party platform to express their views.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Chandigarh, Cheema said those opposing party president have rejected the Jhundan committee report and have never abided by the “one-family, one-ticket” norm.
He said that party patron Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa first accepted the leadership of Sukhbir as the president but revolted because the party didn’t give the Lok Sabha ticket to his son Parminder Singh Dhindsa from Sangrur.
Cheema said these leaders always say one thing in the meeting and do the opposite outside.
He appealed to the rebel leaders not to let their personal aspirations harm the organisation to which they owe their very political existence. “I humbly appeal to them on behalf of the party president to come and express whatever views they have on the party platform,” Cheema said.
He said Sukhbir’s wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal was the first to offer surrendering her ticket honouring the Jhundan committee recommendation for “one family, one ticket”, in case the party fielded Sukhbir in the Lok Sabha elections.
The SAD faced a drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls as it managed to win only one of the 13 seats in Punjab. Sukhbir’s wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal retained the Bathinda seat. The party also faced defeats in back-to-back assembly polls in 2017 and 2022.
“The SAD allows intra-party democratic freedom. There are times when we personally hold views different from the opinion of the majority in the party, but once a decision is taken, we defend it. There is no other way to run an organisation,” he added.
Cheema also appealed to the media not to use expressions like “rebel group” with the SAD. “The SAD is a party and 99% of our cadre, working committee, district presidents and halqa in-charges have backed the decisions taken on the party platforms. But if a group of handful leaders go and start their own ‘dhai paa khichdi’, they may be termed as a group,” he said.
Sukhbir to continue holding discussions with party cadre
Stating that the party president is devoted to strengthen the party at the grassroots level, Cheema said Sukhbir will continue holding meetings with the party cadre.
He said the party chief would meet the Youth Akali Dal office-bearers on June 29, then Istri Akali Dal and SC wing of the party on July 1 and SGPC members and BC wing of the party on July 2.
