E-Paper
SAD announces closure of membership drive
The board, which met under the chairmanship of the party’s working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar, acknowledged the enthusiasm of party leaders and workers in making the recruitment drive a grand success.
Chandigarh
The parliamentary board of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced on Thursday the closure of the process of distribution of membership copies for enrolment of new members, as per the mandated deadline. The party said a total of 33 lakh membership forms had been distributed to its rank and file.
The board, which met under the chairmanship of the party’s working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar, acknowledged the enthusiasm of party leaders and workers in making the recruitment drive a grand success.
Initially, the party had planned to distribute 25 lakh membership forms but due to persistent demand from party workers, an additional eight lakh forms had to be printed, according to a press release. The board recorded that the entire process of membership distribution was carried out smoothly, with forms being distributed across Punjab as well as other states based on requests from party leaders and workers, the release added.
Providing details, party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said all state and district-level observers had been directed to submit the membership copies to the party headquarters by February 25. Along with this, they must also submit the names of the circle delegates who facilitated the membership drive. He added that once this process is completed, the election of district delegates and the party president would commence. The election for office-bearers, including the president, is scheduled for March 1.
However, a committee constituted by the Akal Takht on December 2 last year to oversee the membership drive has raised objections, stating that the drive was not conducted in the true spirit of the highest temporal authority.
Two senior members of this committee, including Harjinder Singh Dhami, who was heading the committee, and former SGPC chief Balwinder Singh Bhundar, have resigned. Expressing dissatisfaction with the process, the committee has written to the Akal Takht, urging it to intervene in the matter.
