Alliance push comes with rider: Waris Punjab De wants six Punar Surjit leaders out of poll fray

Citing the December 2 hukamnama issued by the Akal Takht, the faction has argued that leaders who have lost moral authority should be removed from key positions, and that continuing to give them leadership roles goes against the spirit of Panthic unity and Sikh sangat

Fresh talks have begun between Waris Punjab De and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) to explore an alliance ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, but the proposed Panthic unity faces a potential hurdle, with the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) reportedly demanding that six senior Punar Surjit leaders be kept out of the electoral contest.

Despite the earlier breakdown in negotiations, Waris Punjab De has maintained that its doors remain open to Panth-approved and sincere leaders. (HT File)

Led by jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, Waris Punjab De is reportedly opposing the six leaders on the grounds that they have lost moral authority and do not meet the Sikh community’s expectations of Panth-approved leadership with an honest and clean public image.

Citing the December 2 hukamnama issued by the Akal Takht, the faction has argued that leaders who have lost moral authority should be removed from key positions, and that continuing to give them leadership roles goes against the spirit of Panthic unity and Sikh sangat.

The condition was raised at a meeting held in Chandigarh last week. Waris Punjab De leaders said the party wanted an alliance based on public perception and the credibility of the leadership, adding that the number of senior Punar Surjit leaders it objected to had increased from two to six.

The initiative to consolidate Panthic political forces had suffered a setback in May when Waris Punjab De withdrew from a joint coordination committee formed with SAD (Punar Surjit), citing a lack of consensus on what it described as fundamental ideological differences.

Despite the earlier breakdown in negotiations, Waris Punjab De has maintained that its doors remain open to Panth-approved and sincere leaders, reiterating its commitment to clean and principled Panthic politics

Dakha MLA and senior Waris Punjab De leader Manpreet Singh Ayali said the party had consistently favoured an alliance with Punar Surjit but wanted the proposed arrangement to reflect public sentiment.

“Talks could not progress earlier for certain reasons. Let us hope for the best in the interest of Punjab,” he said.

SAD (Punar Surjit) leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala confirmed that his faction favoured a Panthic alliance, adding that it was working to address the objections raised by Waris Punjab De.

Founded on August 11, 2025, following a split from the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal, SAD (Punar Surjit) emerged from the SAD Sudhar Lehar reform movement. Led by Giani Harpreet Singh, the faction has sought to position itself as an alternative rooted in traditional Panthic values and principled politics.

Waris Punjab De, meanwhile, traces its origins to the organisation founded by the late Deep Sidhu and subsequently led by Amritpal Singh. In January 2025, Amritpal’s father, Tarsem Singh, and Faridkot MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa announced the formation of a political party under the Waris Punjab De banner at the Maghi Mela conference in Muktsar, with the slogan “Panth Bachao, Punjab Bachao” (Save the Panth, Save Punjab). In Amritpal’s absence, a five-member executive committee was constituted to oversee the party’s functioning.