Sukhbir no longer SAD chief; new head in March

Finally, bowing before Akal Takht, the SAD working committee today accepted the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal from the post of party president.

The development comes two days after the Akal Takht Jathedar took a tough stance on the issue at a meeting with the SAD leadership, which had not implemented all directions of the Sikh high priests, especially regarding Sukhbir’s resignation, accepting rebels back into the party fold and initiating a membership drive for the reorganisation of the party.

Was declared ‘tankhaiya’

• Aug 30, 2024: Akal Takht declares Sukhbir Singh Badal guilty of religious misconduct (tankhaiya)
• Nov 16: Badal submits his resignation as the SAD president
• Dec 2: Takht directs the SAD to accept Badal’s resignation, asks it to form a seven-member panel to reorganise the party via a membership drive
• Jan 10, 2025: Akali Dal accepts Sukhbir Badal’s resignation

After a nearly two-hour meeting of the working committee at the party headquarters in Sector 28 here, SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said the committee had accepted Sukhbir’s resignation.

He also announced the district in-charges for carrying out the membership drive to elect a new president on March 1 this year. Till then, the working committee, led by Balwinder Singh Bhunder, will look after the affairs of the party.

Cheema said there was still an issue in accepting the seven-member panel formed by Akal Takht for the reorganisation of the party as it was headed by SGPC president HS Dhami and comprised three leaders considered Badal loyalists and three rebels. Cheema announced a programme to enrol 25 lakh members.

Badal, who was present at the meeting, told reporters that he had resigned on November 16 so that he could appear before Akal Takht as a humble Sikh.

“I completed a five-year tenure (in December 2024) as the party president and had been pressing the working committee to accept my resignation. However, due to some reasons, it could not be accepted till today. I hope the party carries out the membership drive soon so that a new leader can be chosen.”

All this while, the party had defended non-acceptance of the resignation, arguing that the party constitution and its registration as a political party under the Constitution demanded it to remain secular. Due to this, receiving and implementing the directions of Akal Takht would amount to violating the conditions of the registration.

Sukhbir had first stepped aside from actively leading the party on August 30, 2024, when he handed over the charge of running the party affairs to the working committee under Bhundar.

Sukhbir had put in his papers a day before he was to appear before Akal Takht on allegations against him and other party leaders that they took several decisions detrimental to the Sikh Panth since 2007. On November 16, he resigned as the party president ahead of receiving “tankhah” (religious punishment) from Akal Takht. After deliberations, Akal Takht on December 2 pronounced a tankhah of 10 days on Sukhbir and the others. However, he continued in the post as the party chose to defy the Akal Takht orders of accepting his resignation.