Chandigarh [India]: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Singh Cheema said on Saturday that Sukhbir Singh Badal, the president of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), stepping down from his position, paving the way for the election of a new leader is a democratic process.
He also said that the working committee of the party will hold a meeting on Monday to take the next course of action.
“SAD is a democratic party and according to the party’s constitution, there are elections for the post of president every 5 years. Our last election was held on 14th December 2019. Next month, we are going to complete 5 years on 14th December.
So, it is a democratic process that the President has just resigned,” Cheema told media.
Cheema added, “On 18th November, we have a meeting of the working committee with the party head. It will consider the resignation and will also release the detailed program of the election…Anyone can contest the election, the final decision has to be taken in the house, whoever has the majority is selected as the president…”
Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal stepped down on Saturday, clearing the way for the election of a new leader. Dr Daljit S Cheema, former Education Minister of Punjab, confirmed this in a tweet.
The SAD leader wrote, “The SAD President S Sukhbir Singh Badal submitted his resignation to the Working Committee of the party today to pave the way for the election of a new President. He thanked all the party leaders & workers for expressing confidence in his leadership and extending wholehearted support & cooperation throughout the tenure.”
Back in July, Shiromani Akali Dal dissolved its core committee after a meeting held in Chandigarh. Party leader Daljit Singh Cheema informed on X that the core committee will be reorganised shortly.
“The Working Committee of the party has authorized the SAD President S Sukhbir Singh Badal to reorganize the party organization. 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 reorganized shortly. They also discussed four bye-elections,” Cheema said.
“Those present in the meeting were S Harjinder S Dhami, S Balwinder S Bhundar, S Mahesh Inder S Grewal, Dr Daljit S Cheema, S Paramjit S Sarna, S Iqbal S Jhoonda & Harcharan S Bains,” he added.
Earlier, some leaders including Parminder Singh Dhindsa, and Bibi Jagir Kaur, among others, launched a revolt against party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, demanding change in the leadership after the party’s severe drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Some leaders of the party held a meeting in Jalandhar seeking Badal’s resignation. However, some other leaders in the Akali Dal continue to repose faith in Badal.
According to former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur, whenever they tried to discuss anything with Badal, he did not listen to them. However, after days, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Working Committee reposed faith in the leadership of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal following a revolt by a faction of SAD leaders.
Shiromani Akali Dal posted, “Shiromani Akali Dal Working Committee reposes complete faith in the leadership of party president S Sukhbir Singh Badal and urges detractors not to play into the hands of Panth’s enemies. The committee asks the president to lead the efforts to expose conspiracies against the party, Panth and Punjab.”
Reacting to the same, Shiromani Akali Dal MP and party chief Sukhbir Badal’s wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, “The entire Shiromani Akali Dal is united and is standing with Sukhbir Badal. Some of the stooges of the BJP are trying to break SAD. They want to do the same as they did in Maharashtra.”