Sukhbir Singh Badal resigned as president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday, marking the end of his leadership tenure and opening the door for the election of a new party chief, senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema announced.
Badal submitted his resignation to the party’s working committee and expressed gratitude to party leaders and workers for their support.
Also Read:Sukhbir Singh Badal tenders apology for ‘failure to arrest perpetrators’ in 2015 sacrilege case
“The SAD President, S. Sukhbir Singh Badal, submitted his resignation to the working committee of the party today to pave the way for the election of a new president. He thanked all the party leaders and workers for expressing confidence in his leadership and extending wholehearted support and cooperation throughout his tenure,” Cheema wrote in a post on X.
The resignation comes amid controversy surrounding Badal’s declaration as tankhaiya*(guilty of religious misconduct) by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh. On August 30, the Jathedar held Badal accountable for “mistakes” made by the SAD and its government between 2007 and 2017.
Badal had recently urged the Jathedar to announce his tankhah (religious punishment), citing a delay of over two months since the misconduct verdict.
The resignation also follows the SAD’s decision not to contest upcoming bypolls, announced on October 24 after Badal’s plea for temporary relief from the Akal Takht was denied.
Also Read: Ex-Akali Dal minister and family drugged, house robbed in Ludhiana
The internal challenges have intensified since July, when rebel leaders, including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and ex-SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, sought forgiveness from the Akal Takht for the party’s past missteps.
Badal’s departure signals a significant shift within the party as it grapples with its leadership and religious accountability.