SAD Leaders Support Sukhbir Singh Badal Amid Internal Dispute

In Chandigarh, Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Working Committee has shown strong support for their party president, Sukhbir Singh Badal. This comes after some senior leaders demanded his resignation following the party’s poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Internal Conflict

On Tuesday, a group of senior SAD leaders, including Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Bibi Jagir Kaur, revolted against Badal, calling for a change in leadership. They expressed concerns over the party’s defeat, where SAD won only one out of 13 seats in Punjab.

Support for Badal

Despite the revolt, the majority of the SAD Working Committee, including Sukhbir Badal’s wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, and core committee member Balwinder Singh Bhundal, reaffirmed their faith in Badal’s leadership. Harsimrat Kaur stated that out of 117 leaders, 112 support Badal.

Statements and Reactions

Paramjit Singh Sarna, SAD Delhi unit president, criticized the BJP, accusing them of trying to weaken regional parties like SAD. In response, Harsimrat Kaur Badal accused BJP stooges of attempting to break SAD.

Daljit Singh Cheema, another SAD leader, emphasized the importance of party unity and ongoing introspection to understand the election results. He mentioned that Sukhbir Singh Badal had offered to step down if the party desired, but the majority refused.

Future Plans

Rebel leader Parminder Singh Dhindsa held a meeting in Jalandhar to discuss the party’s future. Bibi Jagir Kaur mentioned plans to seek forgiveness at Akal Takht Sahib for the party’s recent losses.

Balwinder Singh Bhundal confirmed that SAD would not form any alliance with the BJP in the future and stressed the importance of party unity.