Another split in Akali Dal as Harpreet Singh elected president of breakaway faction
The Akal Takht-appointed committee held a meeting of the breakaway group of the SAD at Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh in Amritsar, which is being touted by the dissidents as the rebirth of the 'real' party. The move is an open challenge to the authority of Sukhir Singh Badal whose leadership, these rebels say, has plunged the once-dominant regional force into a crisis.
Issuing a clarion call to revive the original Akali Dal of 1920, the panel announced that Harpreet Singh would not contest elections. The breakaway faction claims to represent the original Akali Dal and intends to approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) for ratification.
Former SGPC presidents Bibi Jagir Kaur and Gobind Singh Longowal, along with Prem Singh Chandumajra, were present, sending a clear message that these prominent Akali leaders support the breakaway faction.
The election of the president was conducted under the supervision of Santa Singh Umaidpuri, a panel member appointed as election officer after duly notifying the ECI. Other panel members include Manpreet Singh Ayali, Gurpartap Singh Wadala and Iqbal Singh Jhunda.
This split is due to years of frustration with Sukhbir, who was declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) last year for allegedly violating the religious code of conduct by mishandling the crisis sparked by incidents of sacrilege in October 2015. Under his leadership, the party lost the 2017 and then the 2022 assembly elections and now has just three MLAs in the assembly.
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