Chandigarh, 16 November 2024: Sukhbir Singh Badal has resigned as president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), confirmed party spokesperson Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema.
Badal, who took charge in 2008, led the party to a major victory in 2012, securing a second consecutive term in Punjab’s government.
However, his leadership period saw a steep decline, with the party now reduced to just three seats in the 117-member Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
The downturn was exacerbated by several controversies, including backlash over a back-door apology to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and a series of sacrilege incidents.
In August this year, the Akal Takht’s five-member panel declared Sukhbir a ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty), although the punishment or “tankha” has not yet been determined.
Amid these issues, Badal recently suffered a fracture in his right foot and underwent surgery at PGI Chandigarh.
In August, he appointed senior party leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar as the working president, signaling a shift in the party’s leadership dynamics.
Bhundar has now called an emergency meeting of the working committee on November 18 at the party headquarters in Chandigarh to address Sukhbir’s resignation and outline the next steps.
The meeting comes ahead of the scheduled internal elections for the president, office bearers, and the working committee on December 14, 2024, as the current five-year term nears its end.
