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Ex-MP Chandumajra returns to SAD with son
On Wednesday, Chandumajra resigned from all positions in the SAD (Punar Surjit), citing the need for unity among Akali factions
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Three-time former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra on Friday returned to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, after a one-year association with breakaway faction SAD (Punar Surjit).
His son and former Sanaur MLA Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra also rejoined the Akali Dal.
Chandumajra, who won the Patiala Lok Sabha seat in 1996 and 1998 and Anandpur Sahib in 2014, all three times on the Badal-led SAD ticket, parted ways with the party in 2024 amid differences within the leadership.
He subsequently became associated with the Akali Sudhar Lehar, the reform movement that led to the formation of SAD (Punar Surjit) in August 2025.
On Wednesday, Chandumajra resigned from all positions in the SAD (Punar Surjit), citing the need for unity among Akali factions.
Welcoming the leaders, Sukhbir announced Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra’s appointment as the party’s halqa in-charge from the Sanaur assembly constituency. He appealed to all rebel Akali leaders who had left the party for various reasons to return to their “mother party”, saying they should unite in the larger interest of Punjab and the Panth.
Sukhbir said more leaders who had left the SAD were likely to return in the coming days and that the party would continue efforts to bring estranged leaders back into its fold.
In a post on X, Sukhbir said the homecoming of the Chandumajra family and their team had significantly strengthened the party and finished off the so-called “Nawan Chulha Dal”. He also expressed confidence that with the return of the old team, the SAD would win all assembly seats in the Patiala district and form the government in Punjab with a clear majority.
Speaking on the occasion, Prem Singh Chandumajra said he was influenced by Sukhbir’s appeal for Panthic unity against what he described as anti-Punjab forces, including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He also appealed to other Akali leaders who had left the party to return.
Referring to the December 2, 2024, edict of the Akal Takht, Chandumajra said it had called for unity among Akali factions. He said the directive to “bake flour in one chulha” conveyed the highest Sikh temporal authority’s sentiment for Panthic unity.
Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra, meanwhile, assured the SAD president that he would work towards strengthening the party in Sanaur.
Jagir Kaur too hints at return
Even as Chandumajra’s return dealt a blow to SAD (Punar Surjit), another senior leader of the faction, former SGPC president Jagir Kaur, has indicated following suit.
In interviews to news channels, Kaur said the objective behind forming the Punar Surjit group—to undo the damage to Akali Dal and revive the party—had not been achieved. She also pointed out that the faction had yet to be registered with the Election Commission of India.
Arguing that continued divisions could weaken the 106-year-old regional party and cause damage to the Panth and Punjab, she called for dialogue to bridge the distances. However, she stopped short of confirming whether she had quit the Punar Surjit faction or would return to the SAD.
Kaur, who has been elected SGPC president four times and served as a cabinet minister, said she had never considered herself to have left the Akali Dal, maintaining that she will always remain an Akali. She also disclosed that AAP leaders had approached her to contest on the party’s ticket, but said she had rejected the offer, insisting that she would engage in politics only within the SAD.
Fresh uncertainty for fledgling faction amid string of exits
Led by former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, SAD (Punar Surjit) was formed on August 11, 2025, following a split from the Badal-led SAD. Emerging from the Akali Sudhar Lehar, the faction positions itself as an alternative committed to restoring traditional Panthic values and principled politics ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.
The party’s poll preparations have, however, been hit by internal turbulence and a series of departures through the year. Former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra was expelled over alleged anti-party activities before joining the AAP. Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali also quit the faction and aligned himself with jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh-led Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De).
In another setback, senior leader Jathedar Iqbal Singh Jhundan, along with around 15 other leaders, announced unconditional support to Waris Punjab De, triggering further split within the fledgling outfit.
Former Akali leaders Barjinder Singh Brar and Charanjit Singh Brar have also left the faction, with the former returning to the Badal-led SAD and the latter joining the BJP.
