Sukhbir Singh Badal Steps Down as President of Shiromani Akali Dal

Sukhbir Singh Badal has officially stepped down as the President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The announcement was made by party leader Daljit Cheema, who confirmed the news on social media. In his post, Cheema said, "Sukhbir Singh Badal has resigned from his position as President of the Shiromani Akali Dal. He submitted his resignation to the party's working committee, making way for the election of a new President. He expressed gratitude to all party leaders and members for their trust and unwavering support throughout his leadership."

This resignation follows an earlier declaration by the Akal Takht in August, labeling Sukhbir Singh Badal as "tankhaiya," a term used for religious misconduct. This decision was linked to alleged mistakes made during his party's time in power from 2007 to 2017.

In July, the Shiromani Akali Dal made the decision to dissolve its core committee after a meeting held in Chandigarh. Daljit Singh Cheema announced the restructuring on social media, saying that the committee would soon be reorganized. He mentioned, "The party's working committee has granted Sukhbir Singh Badal the authority to restructure the party's framework. During a meeting in Chandigarh, the party leadership discussed this in detail and agreed to dissolve the Core Committee, which will be reconstituted in the near future. The meeting also focused on preparations for the upcoming four bye-elections."

Cheema also noted that senior members like Harjinder Singh Dhami, Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, Paramjit Singh Sarna, Iqbal Singh Jhoonda, and Harcharan Singh Bains attended the meeting.

This move comes amid internal tensions within the party. Recently, prominent figures like Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Bibi Jagir Kaur expressed discontent with Badal's leadership following the party's poor showing in the last Lok Sabha elections. A group of SAD leaders even gathered in Jalandhar, calling for Badal’s resignation. Despite this, several key leaders have reiterated their loyalty and support for him.

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