In a bid to placate beleaguered leadership and pull up party’s dwindling stocks, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president on Thursday expanded his advisory panel by adding 10 more leaders and nominated 19 leaders as senior vice presidents which includes former minister Adaish Partap Singh Kairon son-in-law of party patriarch and five times Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is on the top of the hierarchy as a chief patron.
The expansion has happened a fortnight after Sukhbir started re-building up the organisation. On November 30, Sukhbir brought in 35 prominent faces, nine into an advisory body to suggest him on running the party affairs and 26 in top decision-making body - core committee.
In the light of SAD’s victory in the office bearer’s election of the SGPC held on November 9, Sukhbir is making attempts to strengthen his grip over the party affairs. Earlier on July 29, he had disbanded party’s organisations and all frontal bodies as an effort to resuscitate party which suffered severe blows in the two assembly polls consecutively, that in the state polls held in the March month, SAD was shrunk to 3 members in the state legislative assembly which led to Sukhbir’s criticism over his style of managing the party affairs.
In August, Sukhbir had announced to form two advisory panels, comprising party seniors and other intellectuals, to guide him in running the party affairs.
{{/usCountry}}In August, Sukhbir had announced to form two advisory panels, comprising party seniors and other intellectuals, to guide him in running the party affairs.
{{/usCountry}}In the advisory panel, Sukhbir on Thursday named former SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, former minister Sucha Singh Chottepur, Bhai Manjit Singh, Alwinderpal Singh Pakhoke, Capt Balbir Singh Bath, Mohinder Singh Hussainpur, Ujagar Singh Badali, Balbir Singh Miani, Harcharan Singh Golwaria and Bhai Ram Singh.
Former Punjab vidhan sabha speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Kirpal Singh Badungar, former minister Bibi Upinderjit Kaur, former Lok Sabha MP Varinder Singh Bajwa, former ministers Baldev Singh Mann and Madan Mohan Mittal, former MLAs Parkash Chand Garg and Vir Singh Lopoke, and former Markfed chairman Jarnail Singh Wahid were included in the advisory body.
The advisory board has been constituted for the first time as an effort to show that the party is set for a change and also takes along senior leadership, after facing criticism that all decisions were taken unilaterally and without larger consultations.
Other than Kairon, the list of senior vice presidents includes - Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Singh Aiyali, Sohan Singh Thandal, Harmeet Singh Sandhu, Mantar Singh Brar, Jagbir Singh Brar, Gaganjeet Singh Barnala, Satwinder Kaur Dhaliwal, Surinder Singh Bhullewal Rathan, Harpreet Singh Kotbhai, Harish Rai Dhanda, Dr. Mohinder Kumar Rinwa, Hans raj Joshan, SR Kaler, Harpreet Kaur Mukhmailpur, Darshan Singh Shivalik, Bibi Gurdev Kaur Sangha and Harbhajan Singh Dang.
The two bodies are a mix of old guard and young blood from a cross section of society, with Hindu faces, two women and representation for scheduled castes and backward classes. With passing away of veteran leader Ranjit Singh Brahmpura on Tuesday, the post of patron had been rendered vacant. Party sources revealed that very soon a suitable leader would be put on the top position.