Sukhbir Singh Badal Re-elected President of Shiromani Akali Dal Naresh Sharma  Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) delegates have once again handed control of the party to the Badal family. They did this by re-electing Sukhbir Badal as the president. Around 500 elected delegates from across Punjab confirmed his leadership during a meeting held today. This action brought an end to weeks of internal discord over the party’s top post.

“Sukhbir Badal Returns as SAD Chief Amid Leadership Crisis”

The Akali Dal had been witnessing internal strife. There was growing dissent over the leadership. Many questioned Sukhbir Badal’s ability to revive the party’s waning influence. His re-election comes at a critical time for the party. The party is struggling to regain its footing. This follows a series of political setbacks over the past decade.

Sukhbir Badal first took over the reins of the SAD in 2008. But, the party’s image suffered a major blow due to incidents of sacrilege and the handling of related cases during its tenure in power, leading to widespread criticism. The fallout severely affected the party’s performance in later elections.

SAD’s Decline and Sukhbir Badal;s Apology Amid Leadership Shift

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections, the Akali Dal suffered significant losses, and the decline continued in the 2022 polls, where it managed to win only 3 seats. Even party stalwarts like Sukhbir Singh Badal and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal faced defeat. The downward trend persisted in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the SAD secured only 1 out of 13 seats, with most of its candidates losing their deposits.

Following the public backlash, Sukhbir Badal had earlier offered an apology at the Sri Akal Takht Sahib for the party’s actions between 2007 and 2017. During that period, he stepped aside, and the party appointed veteran leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder as acting president.

The party has since undergone a membership drive, culminating in the election of district-level delegates, who today chose to reinstate Sukhbir Singh Badal as president. Supporters view this as a move toward organizational stability. However, critics remain skeptical. They doubt whether his leadership can truly revive the party’s lost ground.

With Sukhbir Badal back at the helm, all eyes are now on how the Akali Dal will strategize for future political battles in Punjab.