Sukhbir at the helm

Sukhbir Singh Badal’s re-election as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief has reaffirmed his undisputed dominance of the beleaguered party. The status quo remains unchanged, even as the Akal Takht — the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs — has not succeeded in its efforts to initiate much-needed reforms in the SAD. It’s a new innings for Sukhbir after he underwent religious punishment and survived an assassination attempt in December last year. The key question is whether he can usher in a new dawn for his party, which has been battered by electoral reversals over the past eight years and has lost a significant chunk of its Sikh vote bank.

It’s noteworthy that Sukhbir is back at the helm in the wake of a bitter tussle between the Sikh clergy and the SAD-controlled Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Recent months have witnessed the controversial removal of three Takht Jathedars by the SGPC. They were among the five high priests who had issued an edict against Sukhbir and other Akali leaders for the ‘mistakes’ committed by them during the SAD’s decade-long rule (2007-17) in Punjab. Sukhbir has alleged that these Jathedars were in league with the BJP-led Centre, which was bent on finishing off the SAD. His claim has given rise to speculation that the Akalis are not keen to revive their ties with the saffron party. However, going solo may not be an option for the SAD in the 2027 Assembly elections — it is up against the ruling AAP, the Congress, the BJP and a handful of Akali factions, including the one floated by supporters of jailed radical MP Amritpal Singh.

The purge within the clergy has given Sukhbir the upper hand, but he faces the onerous task of rebuilding his party and restoring its credibility among Punjab’s voters. An immediate challenge for him is to pacify and win over breakaway Akali factions, which are crucial to the SAD’s resurgence.

Editorials