Mon Jan 13 22:45:00 UTC 2025: ## Shiromani Akali Dal Faces Existential Crisis Amidst Splintering and Rise of Radicalism

**Chandigarh, January 14, 2025** – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a century-old party claiming to represent the Sikh community, is facing a severe existential crisis following the acceptance of Sukhbir Singh Badal’s resignation as president. This move, intended as a “course correction,” is proving insufficient to address the party’s deep-seated problems.

The party’s struggles are exacerbated by two significant developments. Rebel SAD members are planning to form a new political outfit, while pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh, currently in jail under the National Security Act (NSA), launched his own Panth and Punjab-centric party today. These actions threaten to further fragment the SAD’s already eroded vote bank, leaving the party vulnerable.

The SAD’s recent electoral performance has been disastrous, winning only one of thirteen parliamentary seats in the last Lok Sabha elections. This poor showing, coupled with previous electoral defeats, highlights the party’s decline in Punjab, where Sikh identity and issues have traditionally been central to politics. Many Sikhs feel the party, under the Badal family’s leadership, has strayed from its core ideology and neglected crucial Sikh concerns. Despite Badal’s recent apology for past “mistakes,” the party has failed to regain significant support.

Amritpal Singh’s new party, details of which are still emerging, aims to focus on Punjab and Panth-centric issues. The rebel faction, led by figures like former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, are also dissatisfied with the party’s failure to fully comply with directives from the Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat. They plan to form a new party if the SAD doesn’t adhere to the Akal Takht’s decisions by January 14th.

The rise of independent candidates like Amritpal Singh and Sarabjeet Singh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alongside Simranjit Singh Mann’s previous win, signals a growing influence of radical elements within Punjab’s political landscape. This trend is partly attributed to the weakening of the SAD. The Dal Khalsa, a Sikh radical outfit, also criticized the party’s failure to fully implement the Akal Takht’s December 2nd verdict, which imposed religious punishments on several Akali Dal leaders.

The confluence of these factors paints a grim picture for the SAD, suggesting that its revival will be a formidable, uphill battle. The party’s future hinges on its ability to address internal dissent, reconcile with the Akal Takht, and regain the trust of the Sikh community.

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