Sukhbir Singh Badal resigns as SAD president

Chandigarh, Nov 16, 2024 : Sukhbir Singh Badal has resigned as president of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), said party spokesperson Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema.

Sukhbir was party president since 2008. It was under his leadership that the SAD formed a second successive government in Punjab in 2012.

However, afterwards, the party went on swift decline losing all the subsequent elections.

It has just three MLAs in the 117 seat Punjab Vidhan Sabha now.

The party faced several crisis, including blame for back-door apology to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and later the series of sacrilege incidents.

Sukhbir was declared a ‘tankhaiya’ by the five member panel appointed by the Akal Takth in August this year. The quantum of his punishment or “tankha” is yet to be announced. He suffered a fracture on his right foot this week and underwent a corrective surgery at PGI in Chandigarh.

Earlier on August 29, Badal had appointed senior party leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar as working president of the party.

Bhundar has called an emergency meeting of working committee of the party on November 18 at party headquarters office in Chandigarh.

The committee would consider the resignation submitted by Sukhbir and would decide further course of action.

It may be mentioned that the elections for the post of president, office bearers and working committee of SAD are due on December 14, 2024, when five-year term of present house expires.