Punjab: Twist in tale: Now, Giani Harpreet set to head SAD breakaway faction

Around 500 delegates to hold meeting today to elect party chief; Satwant Kaur likely to be made group’s religious council chief.

After opting out of the race for presidency of the breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), former Akal Takht acting jathedar and Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh has reportedly agreed to accept the proposal of the delegates who will be holding a meeting on Monday to elect the group’s president.

Giani Harpreet Singh has reportedly agreed to accept the proposal of the delegates who will be holding a meeting on Monday to elect the group’s president. (File)

Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali as well as former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra on Sunday said a consensus has been reached. The meeting of around 500 delegates, elected from across the country under the supervision of the committee which was formed by the Akal Takht on December 2 last year to reorganise the SAD, will be held at Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh.

Sources privy to the matter said majority of the delegates want Giani Harpreet Singh to become the president so his name has been almost finalised. Earlier, he had stated in a social media post that he could not contest the election against slain AISSF leader Amrik Singh’s daughter Satwant Kaur, who is another contender for the top post, citing that she is a respected figure for him. There were reports that the five members of the Akal Takht-appointed committee — Manpreet Singh Ayali, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Iqbal Singh Jhoonda, Santa Singh Umaidpuri and Satwant Kaur — were divided as a section wanted Giani Harpreet Singh to be elected to the top post while the other wanted Satwant Kaur to be the president.

According to reports, former SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, associated with the rebel camp, approached Giani Harpreet Singh to persuade him to become the president. Kaur may be assigned the responsibility of heading the religious council of the party, which is to be constituted for coordinating with panthic groups for the SGPC elections, said sources.

MLA Ayali said, “The five-member committee has reached a consensus on Giani Harpreet Singh and we have decided to make Bibi Satwant Kaur a head of the panthic council as a convener which will also be constituted simultaneously during the election.” He added that Giani Harpreet’s name would be proposed in Monday’s meeting and would be thrown open for voting, if delegates wish to hold an election. “If anyone else wants to contest, we are open,” he said.

Senior leader of the rebel camp and former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra publicly announced while speaking with a TV channel that Giani Harpreet Singh would be elected president of the party and Satwant Kaur would be appointed as head of the religious council.

Hours later, active members of the Akal Takht-appointed panel issued a press release, terming Rakhra’s statement as personal views and stated the election would be conducted. The committee members said the final decision would be taken by the elected delegates in the general assembly. Rakhra was among the senior leaders of the breakaway faction who conducted a meeting in Chandigarh on Sunday evening.

According to Gurpartap Singh Wadala, as per feedback and sentiment in the panthic circles, Giani Harpreet has emerged as a choice for the top post.

Satwant Kaur’s father Amrik Singh was an associate of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and was killed during Operation Bluestar. Amrik’s father Kartar Singh Bhindranwale remained head of Damdami Taksal. She was among the seven-member panel for SAD’s reorganisation named in December last year by the Akal Takht, which included SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, former president Kirpal Singh Badungar, Ayali, Jhundan, Wadala and Umaidpuri. Dhami and Badungar had distanced themselves from the panel after which the remaining five members had started their membership drive in March.

Giani Harpreet Singh, who was jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, was one of the key curators of the December 2 edict under which SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal was declared tankhaiya for the “mistakes” committed during the SAD regime in Punjab between 2007 and 2017. Giani Harpreet was later removed by the SGPC but continued to support the membership drive and was also critical of the SAD leaders, including party president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Giani Harpreet Singh also faced criticism from the Sukhbir-led SAD, which alleged that he had a tacit understanding with the BJP.