Chandigarh, August 4: The Global Sikh Council has submitted an urgent appeal to Singh Sahib Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, requesting direct intervention to forge unity among political groups ahead of the state assembly elections. The global organization stressed that the highest temporal seat must step forward to resolve political fragmentation at a vital period in the state’s socio-political history.
Reflecting deep concern over the division of political voices, the diaspora body highlighted that out of eleven registered parties bearing the name Akali Dal, only the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal managed to secure seats in the 2022 assembly elections, winning just three out of one hundred and seventeen seats. Council representatives noted that this internal split has left the community without effective political leverage amid pressing regional issues like drug addiction, agricultural debt, water disputes, and unregulated demographic changes.
In a joint statement, GSC President Dr Kanwaljit Kaur, Vice President Paramjit Singh Bedi, Secretary Advocate Harjeet Singh Grewal, Treasurer Harsarn Singh, and Advocate Jagir Singh stated, “The sheer fragmentation of Akali politics in the state has left the Panth without effective political representation at a time when it faces mounting challenges.”
To address the situation, the Council proposed issuing an executive decree directing all active factions—including Shiromani Akali Dal under Sukhbir Singh Badal, SAD Punar Surjit under Giani Harpreet Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) under Simranjit Singh Mann, and Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) under Amritpal Singh—to contest the upcoming polls on a single platform with an agreed seat-sharing formula. Should leadership deadlocks arise, the body suggested forming a five-member presidential committee or naming a respected non-political professional to head the coalition, drawing parallels to the appointment model of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
The Council further urged the supreme temporal authority to broaden the proposed coalition beyond traditional groups to include Dalit leaders and other political entities committed to the state’s welfare. Additional recommendations submitted in the draft include forming a legal team to investigate voter list discrepancies and pursuing statutory measures to safeguard voting rights, agricultural land ownership, and public employment for native-born residents.
