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Amritsar, Stage is set to witness a politically significant development today as a panel of 27 Sikh leaders, convened under the aegis of the Akal Takht-appointed five-member committee, will elect a new president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The move comes amid a deepening rift within Punjab’s oldest regional party, which has been grappling with a crisis of leadership and eroding public support.
The five-member committee, constituted by the Akal Takht Jathedar to address discontent within the party’s ranks, has tasked the 27-member panel with selecting a leader who can “restore the panthic character” of the SAD and reclaim its lost political ground. The election will be held at a prominent gurdwara in Amritsar, with senior Sikh clergy and political observers keeping a close watch.
Sources indicate that the exercise is being viewed by many as a parallel leadership process—one that could challenge the authority of the existing party high command led by Sukhbir Singh Badal. While SAD’s official leadership has termed the move “unauthorised” and “against party constitution,” insiders admit that the Akal Takht-backed process carries significant symbolic weight in Punjab’s religious-political landscape.
Political analysts believe the outcome of today’s election could intensify the ongoing power struggle within the Akali Dal, potentially leading to a split or the emergence of a breakaway faction aligned more closely with the Sikh clergy.
The developments also come at a time when the SAD is attempting to revive its fortunes ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, after facing consecutive setbacks in the 2017 and 2022 polls. The selection of a new leader through the Akal Takht panel could further redefine the party’s trajectory in the months to come.
