SAD working panel accepts Sukhbir’s resignation
Second-most senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar to be acting president until the election of new chief on March 1; party’s membership drive to start from Jan 20
The working committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday accepted the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal as party chief, marking the first time since 1996 that the party will not be helmed by the Badal family. Sukhbir had tendered his resignation on November 16.

“The working panel has accepted Sukhbir’s resignation. The election of the new president will take place on March 1,” said senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema, who was part of the meeting. Party’s second-most senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar will be the acting president until a new leadership structure is formed.
While pronouncing the religious punishment for Sukhbir and other leaders for the “mistakes” committed by the SAD and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017, the Sikh clergy had on December 2 directed the SAD’s working committee to accept the resignation of Badal as party chief and other leaders.
The latest move by Sukhbir is being described as a tactical retreat to ward off the mounting heat on the party by the Sikh clergy. Sukhbir became party president for the first time in 2008 and was re-elected for the second time in 2019. His term has ended in December last year.
Addressing the media after his resignation was accepted, Sukhbir thanked the party workers and leaders for their support. “I have performed sewa for five years as party president after getting re-elected in 2019 and I thank all party workers and cadres for supporting me in the difficult times,” said Sukhbir.
Cheema said the party’s membership drive will begin from January 20 and will continue February 20. “The target is to make 25 lakh members,” he added. Cheema also announced a committee to oversee the membership drive and election of president. Of these, five are members of the panel constituted by the Akal Takht for revamping the SAD. These include former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, SAD legislative party leader Manpreet Singh Ayali, Santa Singh Umaidpur and Iqbal Singh Jhudan.
The Akal Takht-constituted committee had also named Gurpartap Singh Wadala and Bibi Satwant Kaur. The two, however, were not included in the SAD panel as Wadala has already been dismissed from the party while Satwant Kaur was an employee of the SGPC.
Notable absences from the working committee meeting included SGPC president Dhami and senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia, with the latter citing court attendance in Amritsar.
Addressing speculation about other resignations, Cheema clarified that while other leaders had offered to resign in solidarity with Sukhbir, these offers were rejected by the working president.
The party has previously conveyed to the Akal Takht that reorganisation through a committee constituted by the temporal seat might risk its de-recognition under the Representation of People’s Act, which requires political parties to be secular.
The rebel group, on its part, accused the SAD of “ignoring the spirit of Akal Takht’s edict.” “In today’s decision, there was no attempt to involve all the factions. We knew that immediately after accepting (Sukhbir’s) resignation, the SAD would announced membership drive and will hurriedly conduct office-bearers’ election. They exactly done the same way,” said Wadala who remained convener of Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar (reforms movement).
