Defying Akal Takht panel, SAD to start poll process from March 10

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday announced to initiate its organisational poll on March 10 with the election of delegates amid a renewed attempt by an Akal Takht-constituted panel to launch a membership drive for the party later in the month.

The party once again rejected the Takht panel — including rebel Akali leaders — and alleged that some members of the committee were working to damage the party. The party said its membership drive, launched on January 20, was also nearing completion, with around 30 lakh people filling registration slips.

The announcement has come a day after the Akal-Takht constituted committee to oversee the SAD overhaul will initiate a membership drive for the party from March 18.

Earlier, the party had rejected the panel constituted by the temporal seat, whose December 2 edict had forced Sukhbir Singh Badal to quit as the SAD chief. SAD had launched its membership campaign on January 20, resulting in a stalemate over the issue.

The election of delegates is a precursor to the polls to elect the party president and other office-bearers.

Party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema told reporters here that so far they have received 20 lakh membership slips, with around 10 lakh more expected to be received in coming days.

He said a meeting of membership drive observers as well as that of the SAD Parliamentary Board would be held on March 10 to elect the delegates, who will then vote to elect the party president and other office-bearers.

Cheema claimed that the Takht panel was a supervisory committee, which was extended full cooperation by SAD. However, some members of the committee had their own agenda and were working to damage the party, he alleged. “SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar had invited members of the supervisory committee to the party office but they declined the invitation. They were also invited to take membership copies as required but they declined to do so,” he said.