Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday appointed party general secretary Balwinder Singh Bhundar the working president of the party, amid speculation that he may step down from the party chief’s post.
The decision was taken after a meeting of the party’s senior leaders earlier in the day. Party vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema announced the decision on X. “Sukhbir Singh Badal has appointed senior party leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar as Working President of the party (SIC)”.
The decision came a day before the five Sikh high priests are slated to meet in Amritsar under Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh to take a decision on the unconditional apology tendered by Sukhbir Badal for all the mistakes committed during SAD-BJP governments two tenures from 2007 to 2017.
In a letter to the clergy, the SAD rebels had highlighted the revocation of the blasphemy case against the Dera chief in 2007; the failure to punish perpetrators of the Bargari sacrilege and police officials for the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing incidents and allowing the appointment of controversial IPS officer Sumedh Singh Saini as the Punjab DGP as the mistakes committed during party’s 10-year regime in Punjab, spread over the two consecutive terms.
“This means that in view of the assembly by the five head priests at Shri Akal Takht (the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs) tomorrow, our party president wants to present himself in all humility, meaning that he has divested his political power as party head to another leader, so we all decided that party should have a working president,” party’s vice president Daljit Singh Cheema said.
{{/usCountry}}“This means that in view of the assembly by the five head priests at Shri Akal Takht (the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs) tomorrow, our party president wants to present himself in all humility, meaning that he has divested his political power as party head to another leader, so we all decided that party should have a working president,” party’s vice president Daljit Singh Cheema said.
{{/usCountry}}Akali rebels, however, said the step was “half-hearted”.
“Badal Saab should have resigned and not appointed Bhundar Saab as a working president who everyone knows is his confidante and would toe the line,” said Gurpartap Singh Wadala, convener of Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar (reforms programme), launched by rebel Akali leaders.
In today’s move, SAD is seen as having moved a step forward towards course correction as the voices of the opponents in the party were getting shrill that he is clinging to the top post.
The rebel voices in SAD grew stronger after the party’s repeated poor show in political contests, particularly in the parliament polls of June 1, wherein the party lost deposits on 10 parliamentary seats and could win on one. After the rebellion, Akali Dal expelled nine party leaders including the party’s patron Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa leading to a virtual vertical split in the party.