18 hours Ago
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday started the election of the circle and assembly constituency level delegates. The exercise of electing 117 assembly constituency-level delegates will be completed by April 7. The delegates will then elect the office bearers of the SAD, including the party president.
According to party leader Daljit Singh Cheema, after the ongoing elections are over, the lists will reach party headquarters in Chandigarh for further action. “So far, the party has not finalised the date for election of the office bearers. The designated observers will supervise the delegates’ election,” Cheema said, adding that 25 circle delegates will elect a delegate from each constituency.
The party has not announced any date for the office bearers’ election. The SAD announced it had made 26 lakh members during its membership drive. The process of setting up the party’s hierarchy is seen by a section of Akali leaders as defiance of the December 2 edict of the Akal Takht in which tankah (religious punishment) was pronounced against Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The Sikh clergy had also announced a seven-member committee to start the membership for SAD. Currently, the committee, which was reduced to five members, is spearheading a parallel membership drive. SAD has maintained that the re-organisation of the party on the orders of a religious body (Akal Takht) might lead to the de-recognition of the party as it violates the provisions of the Representation of People’s Act.
Takht-panel makes 4 lakh members. On Wednesday, the rebel SAD leaders, led by Gurpartap Singh Wadala and Dakha legislator Manpreet Singh Ayali, said they have made 4 lakh members. Wadala said the membership drive will continue for three more months and will be extended if required, deepening the void and a clear-cut vertical division in SAD to the lowest levels of the cadres.
The Takht panel drive began on March 18, with the rebel leaders targeting more than 20 lakh members. In recent days, the membership drive has been held in Amritsar, Malerkotla, Sangrur, Jalandhar and Patiala, and in the upcoming days, it will be launched in Gurdaspur, Ropar, and Mansa, Ayali said. “The local leaders are also taking membership slips for villages and rural areas,” Wadala said, hinting at making 20-25 lakh members.
Rebels have also decided to launch an online membership drive shortly for those settled in foreign countries and willing to become members. “Our membership drive is genuine, transparent and as per the directions of the Akal Takht and those becoming members are enthusiastic, unlike the membership drive done by the SAD, which was generic,” Wadala added. “SGPC election to be a real test” Wadala said the real SAD will be revealed during the SGPC elections scheduled to be held this year.
“The voters’ list needs to be updated, and after that, the elections can be held anytime. The polls will show who the real SAD is,” Wadala said. Badals camp, currently at the helm of the party, also has a majority in the SGPC.
Wadala hinted at the split if the need arises in future. “In the past, there have been instances when different Akali Dal’s came into existence. We will also add an appropriate suffix with the SAD name when the matter reaches that stage,” he added.
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