Sukhbir reconstitutes core panel, inducts 23 members
SAD appoints Harsimrat and chiefs of youth, women, legal wings as ex-officio members of top decision-making body of party
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday re-constituted party’s top decision-making body, the core committee, with the induction of 23 members and four ex-officio office-bearers.
Facing rebellion, Sukhbir had on July 23 dissolved the core committee which then had 32 members. On July 30, the party chief expelled eight leaders who have turned rebellious after party’s poor show in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.
The second oldest political party in the country is facing its worst rebellion in nearly 25 years, with the chorus for ousting Sukhbir Singh Badal reaching a fever pitch. The rebel faction is blaming party’s top leadership for consecutive poll routs.
Five expelled rebel leaders, including former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Jagir Kaur, former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and three ex-ministers Sikandar Singh Maluka, Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Surjeet Singh Rakhra, were members of the core committee and used to have a say in the party matters.
Three other rebel leaders who faced expulsion were former MLAs Gurpartap Singh Wadala, and Sunder Singh Buhlewal Rathan and Sukhbir’s political secretary Charanjit Brar.
On August 1, the party expelled its patron and senior leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa from primary membership for “anti-party” activities. Besides Dhindsa, the party has not included Parkash Chand Garg and Baldev Singh Mann in the core committee.
The reconstituted core committee has two new faces — Baldev Singh Khehra and Harmeet Singh Dhillon. The other members include SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, party’s secretary general Balwinder Singh Bhunder and former Rajya Sabha member Naresh Gujral.
Gulzar Singh Ranike, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Hira Singh Gabria, Bikram Singh Majithia, Daljit Singh Cheema, Anil Joshi, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, Sohan Singh Thandal, Paramjit Singh Sarna, Manjit Singh GK, Iqbal Singh Jhundan, Virsa Singh Valtoha, Gurbachan Singh Babehli, Sukhwinder Sukhi, Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal, NK Sharma and Mantar Singh Brar have been included in the top decision-making body of the party.
“The core committee had been reconstituted as per the resolution of working committee of the party which had shown trust in SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal,” said party’s vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema.
Cheema said that leader of the party in Parliament (Harsimrat Kaur Badal), presidents of Youth Akali Dal, Istri Akali Dal and legal wing of the SAD (Arshdeep Kler) will be the ex-officio members. Member of Parliament and legal cell head have been included in the core committee for the first time.
The eight rebel leaders were expelled from the party for demanding change in the leadership. They also launched the “Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar” and on July 1 they approached the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs for pardon for mistakes the SAD-BJP government committed during its two terms from 2007 to 12 and 2012 to 2017.
The rebels blamed Sukhibr for the mistakes, after which Akal Takht asked the party chief to explain. On July 23, Sukhbir reached the Takht to offer explanation. Further action from the Sikh clergy is awaited.