On Wednesday, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced the creation of a six-member parliamentary board tasked with selecting candidates for upcoming elections, including the Lok Sabha, state assembly, local civic bodies, and rural panchayats.
Vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), stating that party president Sukhbir Singh Badal made the decision. The board includes members Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Daljit Singh Cheema, and Hira Singh Gabria, with the party’s secretary general, Balwinder Singh Bhundar, serving as chairman.
Cheema explained that there had been a long-standing demand for a parliamentary board to create a decentralized system for candidate selection at various electoral levels. He added that the party historically had such a board, making this a return to past practices.
This move comes amid internal strife within SAD, with some party leaders demanding Badal’s resignation following a series of election defeats since the 2017 assembly polls. The party recently expelled patron Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and eight senior leaders, including former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur, due to their alignment with rebels.
Today’s decision is viewed as a corrective step by SAD as it faces criticism for its diminishing political influence.
