SAD reflects on LS poll outcome, reposes faith in Badal's leadership

Amid voices emerging within the party calling for a change at the top, the Shiromani Akali Dal core committee Thursday held a detailed discussion on its drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, and reposed full faith in Sukhbir Singh Badal's leadership

SAD leader Charanjit Singh Brar wrote an open letter to party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, suggesting him to form a committee in the larger interests of the party.

The Badal-led SAD faced a drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as it could manage to win only the Bathinda parliamentary constituency out of total 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.

 

The SAD also saw a drop in its vote share from 27.45 percent in 2019 to 13.42 percent in 2024 polls.

The meeting of SAD's core committee, which is the party's top decision making body, started at 3 pm and continued till 9:30 pm.

In a statement, the party said the core committee held a prolonged and in-depth discussion on the prevailing political situation in the state, including analysis and introspection of the performance of the party in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, SAD senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere.

Cheema informed that the core committee held a detailed discussion on the Lok Sabha outcome.

In the coming days, SAD president Badal will seek suggestions from the party leaders individually as well as collectively to formulate the party's overall agenda and strategy for future, he said.

Replying to a question on the open letter written by SAD leader Charanjit Brar, Cheema said a new disciplinary committee will be announced and this committee will deal with a complaint if anybody has.

Replying to a question on the change of party president, Cheema said no such thing came up in the meeting. Cheema said the party accepted the verdict of the people.

The meeting placed on record its wholehearted appreciation of the "spirited, selfless and resolute leadership" provided by the party president Badal, especially during the past six months leading up to the polling date, said the party statement.

"The manner in which the SAD president took brave and selfless decisions, making unheard of personal sacrifices for the party's interests, is a matter of pride for the entire party. The party places full faith and confidence in his leadership and salutes his single minded devotion to the party's interests," it said.

The meeting also considered the party's likely strategy for the forthcoming by-elections in the state. A final decision on these will be taken in the coming days, it said.

The core committee also took a serious view of "a well-orchestrated and vicious vilification campaign against the party and its leadership".

The meeting reposed full faith in Badal's leadership, it said.

Brar wrote to Badal to form a committee: '?'Panch Pardhani'. He suggested it could comprise party leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar as convener, MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, party leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra, Harjinder Singh Dhami, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Hira Singh Gabria and NK Sharma as members.

Earlier, SAD leader and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali had announced to stay away from party activities till it implements the Jhundan committee report to revive the party.

The SAD had set up the Iqbal Singh Jhundan-led committee to analyse the reasons for its humiliating defeat in the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.

Party leaders including Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Bibi Jagir Kaur had raised voices over the party's poor show in the elections including 2017 and 2022 assembly polls.

Meanwhile, the party statement said the SAD expressed deep concern over the "growing communal polarisation in society and its abuse in politics in the country."

"In this regard, the party came down heavily against poisonous and divisive utterances of the film actress-turned-MP Kangana Ranaut.

"While the party does not approve of resorting to violence, Kangana must be held accountable for her abusive, humiliating and rabidly communal utterances which caused deep emotional hurt that led to the unfortunate incident at the airport. Kulwinder Kaur's (CISF constable) alleged action must not be seen in isolation of the circumstances that led to it," it said.

Kangana had accused the CISF woman constable of slapping her at the Chandigarh airport recently.

The party also condemned the assault of a Sikh man in Haryana's Kaithal, who had alleged the two unidentified motorcycle-borne youths had not only thrashed him but also called him a "Khalistani."

The core committee reiterated that "a massive and deep rooted conspiracy is at play against SAD to confuse, mislead and divide the Sikh masses to render this leaderless."

"The conspiracy is aimed at dividing and weakening the 'Khalsa Panth' with the final aim of controlling their religion and sacred Sikh religious institutions," said the party statement.