Badal loyalist Balwinder Singh Bhunder Akali Dal working president

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 29

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has appointed long-time Badal family loyalist and former Rajya Sabha member Balwinder Singh Bhunder as the working president of the party with immediate effect.

Party rebels and some Sikh organisations have been asking Sukhbir to step down from the post of president.

Sukhbir, who has been facing a strong rebellion within the party (Gidderbaha bypoll “candidate” Dimpy Dhillon quit the party the other day), has not completely stepped aside from the post of president as he has not resigned. In a climbdown from his position as the party supremo, he has delegated all powers of the president to Bhunder.

SAD spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema announced Bhunder’s appointment on social media. He told The Tribune, “Sukhbir wants to face the decision of Akal Takht as a common and humble man due to which he has delegated all powers to Bhunder.”

However, no formal letter has been issued regarding the appointment. Cheema said the public announcement was usually enough.

The development comes a day before Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh and five Sikh high priests are scheduled to discuss in Amritsar the apology tendered by Sukhbir on “mistakes” committed by the party from 2007 onwards. Sukhbir had submitted an apology to Akal Takht on July 24 on sacrilege incidents and any inadvertent mistakes that may have caused harm to the Panth.

On July 1, a group of party rebels had submitted a letter to the Akal Takht Jathedar seeking action on the “mistakes” committed by the SAD. Tarsem Singh, father of Khalistan activist and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, submitted a memorandum to the Akal Takht Jathedar on Wednesday seeking removal of Sukhbir from the post of SAD president. He also demanded revocation of the Fakhar-e-Qaum honour bestowed on the late Parkash Singh Badal.

A long-time associate of the late Badal, Bhunder is a soft-spoken leader from Sardulgarh. He has been an MP and an MLA three times each.

Meanwhile, the rebel faction, which had launched the Akali Dal Sudhar Movement, has rejected Bhunder’s appointment. Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Charanjit Singh Brar have termed the move a mere eyewash.