Sukhbir Badal dissolves Akali Dal’s core committee amid rebellion by section of party leaders

Chandigarh, July 23

Facing rebellion by a section of party leaders, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday dissolved its core committee, the outfit’s highest decision-making body.

Several senior party leaders, including some from the core committee, had last month demanded that Badal step down as the party chief following its debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.

The leaders who had raised the banner of revolt included former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, former MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala and former ministers Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Surjit Singh Rakhra.

Chandumajra, Maluka, Wadala and Rakhra were among the members of the core committee.

SAD senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema on Tuesday said the core committee of the SAD has been dissolved.

He said that the working committee of the party has authorised Badal to reorganise the party organisation.

“In this regard the party president discussed in detail with his senior colleagues in a meeting held at Chandigarh today. It was decided to dissolve the core committee of the party. It will be reorganised shortly…,” said Cheema in a post on X.

Among those present in the meeting were Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami, senior leaders Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, Paramjit Singh Sarna, Iqbal Singh Jhoonda and Harcharan Bains.

SAD had reconstituted the core committee in November 2022.

Rebel Akali leaders on July 15 launched a platform called ‘Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar’ to “strengthen and uplift” the 103-year-old outfit.

On July 1, the rebel SAD leaders appeared before the Akal Takhta Jathedar and apologised for the “mistakes” that were committed when their party was in power in the state.

The leaders had sought forgiveness for the “four mistakes” during the former SAD regime between 2007 and 2017, including the failure to punish those responsible for the 2015 sacrilege incidents and pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2007 blasphemy case.

They had recently claimed that Sukhbir Badal allegedly used influence in pardoning the Dera Sacha Sauda chief in the blasphemy case.