SAD (Sanyukt) merges with Badalled Akali Dal

Ahead of the Parliamentary elections, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa merged his party, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt), with the Sukhbir Singh Badalled Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

Terming the merger as a joint responsibility to bring Punjab back on the rails, Mr. Dhindsa said, “There was an overwhelming feeling among our leaders and workers to merge with the SAD to effect unity in the ‘panth’ (Sikhs). Moreover, the entire party felt that Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed heartfelt remorse for the cases of sacrilege which occurred in 2015. Accordingly, I called a meeting of the party’s district presidents yesterday [Monday] and they gave the goahead.”

Mr. Badal termed the affair a “merger of two families”, and appealed to Mr. Dhindsa to take on responsibility as patron of the SAD since he was the seniormost Akali leader. He also appealed to all SAD leaders who had left the party earlier to rejoin it, saying, “The SAD alone is capable of safeguarding the aspirations of Punjabis”.

The SAD, which has been going through a challenging time after facing a drubbing in the 2017 and 2022 State Assembly elections, besides a poor show in the Parliamentary bypoll as well, has been making desperate attempts to regain its relevance in State politics.

Over the past few months, the party has been narrowing its focus surrounding ‘panthic’ (Sikh) issues and agenda in an attempt to garner the support of the Sikh community, for which the party claims to be a sole representative. Mr. Badal had even sought “forgiveness” from the community for the sacrilege of the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, that occurred during the last SADled government.