Akali rebels constitute 51-member advisory panel to steer ‘sudhar lehar’
The committee will comprise of panthic leaders who have a grip over Sikh ethos, ideology, have leadership among the masses and possess clout among the people of Punjab, said ‘sudhar lehar’ convener Gurpartap Singh Wadala
The Akali rebels have constituted a 51-member committee to advise the presidium formed last month to steer the Shiromani Akali Dal “sudhar lehar” (reforms programme).
The advisory panel, according to “sudhar lehar” convener Gurpartap Singh Wadala, will have an eight-member executive body comprising senior members, including former SAD patron Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Bibi Jagir Kaur, former ministers Sikandar Singh Maluka, Baldev Singh Mann and Sarwan Singh Phillaur and former MLAs justice Nirmal Singh (retd) and Parkash Chand Garg.
“The 51-member team comprise of panthic leaders who have a grip over Sikh ethos, ideology, have leadership among the masses and possess clout among the people of Punjab,” said Wadala, adding that the panel has both young and old members.
In July, the rebels constituted a 13-member presidium comprising former ministers Surjit Singh Rakhra and Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Santa Singh Umaidpuri, Surinder Singh Bhullewal Rathan, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Bhai Manjit Singh, Harinder Pal Singh Chandumajra, Gaganjit Singh Barnala, Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, Kiranjot Kaur, Charanjit Singh Brar, Paramjit Kaur Landran and Harinder Pal Singh Tohra.
Wadala said that after Akali leader Gurcharan Singh Tohra’s centenary birth celebrations on September 24, the party would constitute district and assembly segment- level committees which will form the base of the “sudhar lehar”.
“We have held meetings in Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar and like-minded people are being roped in. We would form a panel of youth as youngsters are enthusiastic and want to see rise of SAD again.
After the SAD’s continuous poor show in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, a section of senior Akali leaders opened a front against party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and asked him to step down.
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the party managed to win only one seat lost deposits on 10 seats.
Following the rebellion, the party chief expelled nine senior leaders, including patron Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, leading to a vertical divide in the SAD.