Sukhbir Singh Badal resigns as Akali Dal president

In a pivotal political development, former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal resigned as president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday.

His resignation comes over two months after being declared a tankhaiya (guilty of violating Sikh religious code) by the Akal Takht, marking a significant moment for the party that has been led by the Badal family since 1996.

Badal tendered his resignation to the party’s working committee, which will convene an emergency meeting on Monday in Chandigarh. The resignation also precedes the party’s presidential elections, scheduled for 14 December, as per SAD’s five-year electoral cycle.

Senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder, appointed as the party’s working president in August, will oversee the transition and the committee's decision on the next steps.

Badal’s resignation signals a critical juncture for the Akali Dal, a party grappling with shrinking electoral influence and internal dissent. Under his leadership, it suffered a series of setbacks, including its worst-ever performance in the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, where it won just three seats, and a drastic drop in vote share during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Political analysts say Badal's resignation is also seen as an attempt to address the rebellion within the party. A faction of dissident leaders, under the banner of the 'Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar', has been vocal about the need for leadership change. They have accused the leadership of ignoring recommendations from a six-member committee tasked with analysing the party’s poor performance in the 2022 elections.

Badal’s resignation comes amid ongoing scrutiny by the Akal Takht, the highest religious authority in Sikhism. He recently urged the Takht to expedite its decision on charges of religious misconduct linked to his tenure between 2007 and 2017. These include accusations of mishandling the 2015 sacrilege cases and pardoning Dera Sachha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 2007, actions that have alienated sections of the Sikh community. 

The electoral process for SAD’s leadership will involve a membership drive, followed by elections of circle, district, and state delegates, culminating in the selection of the new president.

Sukhbir Singh Badal’s tenure as SAD president, spanning over a decade, saw both highs and lows. While he led the SAD-BJP alliance to victory in the 2012 Punjab elections, the party’s fortunes declined sharply in subsequent years. Internal rifts, rising anti-incumbency, and the formation of splinter groups like SAD (Taksali) and SAD (Sanyukt) have further eroded the party’s base.

The coming months will be crucial for the Akali Dal as it navigates leadership change, addresses internal dissent, and prepares for upcoming elections. Whether this marks a new chapter or further decline for the party remains to be seen.