Sukhbir Singh Badal Resigns as SAD Chief Amid Party Setbacks

Chandigarh: Sukhbir Singh Badal, who had been declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht, tendered his resignation on Saturday as the Shiromani Akali Dal president, a position he held since 2008.Badal's resignation paves the way for the election of the new party chief.

The resignation of Badal (62), who is the son of five-time Punjab chief minister late Parkash Singh Badal, came amid vociferous demand by several rebel party leaders including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur who wanted him to step down for the party's consistent dismal performance in the state assembly as well as parliamentary elections.

Badal submitted his resignation to the party's working committee, said party leader Daljit Singh Cheema.

"The SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal submitted his resignation to the working Committee of the party today to pave the way for the election of new President. He thanked all the party leaders & workers for expressing confidence in his leadership and extending wholehearted support & cooperation throughout the tenure," Cheema said in a post on X.

Cheema further said that the elections of Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) office bearers are due on December 14 and Badal will complete his five-year term next month.

The party's working committee will hold a meeting on November 18 to discuss the resignation and ensuing party's elections including new membership drive, appointments of circle delegates and state delegates, he said, adding that last elections were held on December 14, 2019.

Badal, the former deputy chief minister, was the youngest chief of SAD, when he was elevated to the post in 2008.

He was often credited for the party's victory in 2012 assembly polls, but his leadership came under scanner by own party leaders after the SAD could win just 15 of total 117 seats in 2017 and finally relegated to three seats in the 2022 polls.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, it could win only one seat out of total 13 parliamentary constituencies.

Reacting to the development, 'Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar' convener Gurpartap Singh Wadal welcomed the move but dubbed it as overdue.

Badal's resignation came days after he urged the Akal Takht Jathedar to pronounce his punishment for religious misconduct charges, saying more than two months have passed since he was declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct).

He had appealed for convening a meeting of five 'Singh Sahibans' (Sikh clergy) soon to pronounce 'tankhah'.

On August 30, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh had declared Badal 'tankhaiya' for "mistakes" committed by the SAD and its government from 2007 to 2017.

The jathedar is yet to pronounce 'tankhah' (religious punishment) for Badal.

After being declared 'tankhaiya', Badal had not been keeping himself away from political and social engagements.

The SAD leadership on October 17 had too appealed to the Akal Takht Jathedar for taking a decision early in this regard but it was not accepted.

After Badal failed to get any temporary relief from the Akal Takht, the SAD announced on October 24 that it would not contest the November 20 bypolls to four assembly segments in Punjab.

Wadala on Badal's resignation said it was the demand of party workers and other people that he should step down as the party has "weakened" under Badal's leadership.

"It is a right decision though it was taken late. When he was declared 'tankhaiya', that time was apt for resignation," said Wadala.

He appealed to the Akal Takht jathedar to unite the 'panth', a leadership with panthic and political understanding should be brought forward so as to get out of the current crisis.

Former SGPC chief Kaur said Badal should have resigned seven years ago following the party's poor performance in the 2017 assembly polls.

"We only wanted the party to be revived," Kaur told PTI.

"Our fight was not for any post. We only wanted to listen to the voice of people and strengthen the party," she said.

We were compelled to approach the Akal Takht, she said.

The 103-year-old political outfit SAD has been facing the worst rebellion in its history with a section of party leaders revolting against Badal, demanding that he step down as party chief following the SAD's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.

The rebel leaders had been demanding the implementation of the Jhunda committee report which mainly had recommended change in the leadership.

The SAD had set up the Iqbal Singh Jhundan-led committee to analyse the reasons for its humiliating defeat in the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.

Badal was declared 'tankhaiya' after rebel party leaders including Chandumajra, Kaur and other leaders had appeared before the Akal Takht on July 1.

They sought forgiveness for four "mistakes" during the Shiromani Akali Dal regime between 2007 and 2017, including failure to punish those responsible for 2015 sacrilege incidents and pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case.

They had also held Badal, who was deputy chief minister at that time, responsible for the "mistakes".

During the anti-sacrilege protests in Faridkot, two people were killed and several injured in police firing.

The rebel leaders, referring to the 2015 sacrilege incidents, had said the then government could not ensure punishment to the guilty.

They had also mentioned the 2007 blasphemy case registered against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for allegedly imitating the 10th Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh.

Badal allegedly used his influence to ensure that the Dera chief was pardoned in the blasphemy case, they had said.

The rebel leaders also alleged that the SGPC spent nearly Rs 90 lakh on newspaper advertisements to justify the decision to pardon the Dera chief.

In 2015, the Akal Takht pardoned the Dera chief based on a written apology. However, bowing to pressure from the Sikh community and hardliners, it annulled its decision.

The rebel leaders had also blamed the then SAD government for appointing Sumedh Singh Saini as director general of police during its tenure.

The rebel leaders had pointed out that the Sikh panth and the people of Punjab drifted away from the Akali Dal over these "mistakes" and the SAD faced "failures" not only on the religious front but also suffered people's apathy in the political field.