Once a powerful regional force, the Shiromani Akali Dal is now a shadow of its former political self

On the other hand, SAD leaders siding with Badal asked the rebels to vent out within the party precincts, not outside.

In no mood to give in, the party president, hit back making the party’s cadres, district-level leadership and assembly constituencies in charge stand behind him.

“I will not let the power-hungry leaders of the party successful in their designs to divide the party of Punjabi and the Panth,” Badal said during meetings with party leaders who came out in his support.

According to Badal, the BJP is acting surreptitiously to stage a vertical divide in the oldest (103-year-old) regional party (after the Congress) and termed the rebels as a “frustrated lot” who were always after power and positions.

Badal’s wife Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has termed the rebels as “stooges of the Bharatiya Janata Party” (BJP).

“The party has given him lots of space to bring back the party on the track but all attempts have failed. Every leader and worker has worked to take the party to the peak, he (Sukhbir) must introspect where he lags and should better step down,” suggested the party’s senior leader and former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra.

Fall and the downward slide

A popular regional party in Punjab, SAD, which used to have sway over the Panth (Sikh majority) and the peasantry and ran state government successfully for 15 years (1997-2002, 2007-12 and 2012-17) in alliance with the saffron party.

The downslide began in the 2017 state assembly elections when the party won 15 seats and its ally, the BJP, won three. The BJP then blamed SAD for the downfall and criticised them for committing serious errors in governance during two consecutive terms. By then, differences between the two allies came out in the open as BJP leaders in Punjab were pushing to cut off ties but the central leadership resisted.

In 2020, siding with the farmers who were agitating and seeking annulment of three farm laws (which were repealed in 2021) SAD severed ties with its ally of 24 years and it faced another debacle in 2022 state polls when Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 92 seats out of 117 in the state assembly and SAD which contested in alliance with BSP won just three and BSP one.

The jolt was so severe that all seniors including party’s patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir, and Bikram Singh Majithia perceived as invincible, suffered defeats.

Then, in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the BSP also walked out, and SAD could win one seat: Harsimrat Kaur Badal was elected for the fourth consecutive term. However, 10 out of 13 candidates fielded forfeited deposits.

Going back to 1996, in a quick move when Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA government was formed at the Centre, then president of the SAD Parkash Singh Badal, (Sukhbir’s father) announced support to the BJP, leading to a pre-poll alliance.

At that time, it came as a shock for party leaders and its ally Mayawati led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) opposed the move, but the alliance formed government in the state thrice and SAD MPs – Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Sukhbir and later Harsimrat Kaur Badal were given berths in the union cabinet during different times.

What’s rebels grouse with Sukhbir

“SAD under Sukhbir ran a “lopsided campaign” during the parliament election and failed to give clear vision to the party as the party failed to stitch an alliance with either BJP or BSP nor we were able to support the two panthic candidates,” said former MP Chandumajra.

At that time the SAD which was running government in alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced backlash, so much that they were unable to venture out. Since then, the SAD lost grip over its core strength the Panth (Sikhs) and the peasantry are overlapping in rural Punjab. Then came the state polls of 2017 the alliance lost as party strength vented anger and voted for the congress, blaming the SAD for failing to nab the culprits.

Then came 2020 when farmers began agitation against three farm laws with SAD’s leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal as the food processing minister in the Modi cabinet. The SAD supported the bills not realising the rising farmers’ anger. What added insult to injury was a video message from Parkash Singh Badal supporting the farm bills. Realising the damage, the party took a U-turn and, siding with the farmers, she resigned from the cabinet and her party severed ties with the old ally. The bills were repealed but could not reverse the damage done to the Akalis.

The 2022 state polls gave just three seats to the party.

Tough terrain ahead for Sukhbir

The political journey ahead will not be easy for the Akali party chief, particularly when a few leaders, the majority of whom were the protégés of his father, have expressed dissent.

Against this backdrop, Badal will bank on a new crop of leaders. “The question is how to bring support base back who have drifted to other parties. The lesson should be learnt that you are losing political space in Punjab,” said a political analyst not willing to be quoted.

“In Punjab, the two political thoughts are moderate and radical, and Sukhbir is moderate and has a nationalistic approach, it is to be seen how soon he will be successful,” said Pramod Kumar who heads the Chandigarh-based think tank Institute of Development and Communication. The grievance of the rebels is that they failed to be in power. Had they won there would be no rebellion, he adds.

SAD’s falling vote share

41.91% - 2012 state polls – 68 seats (ally BJP)

30.6% - 2017 state polls – 18 seats (ally BJP)

18.38% - 2022 state polls – 3 seats won (Alliance with BSP)

13.46% - 2024 parliament election – one seat won, forfeited on 10 seats

(Total assembly seats 117, Parliament seats 13)