As Akali Dal targets Bhagwant Mann, exodus of leaders threatens party

Even as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) seeks to build a statewide campaign against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the alleged sacrilege video controversy and the new anti-sacrilege law, the party is simultaneously grappling with a harsh reality: a steady stream of leaders quitting its fold, with several joining the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or rival Panthic groups.

On June 21, several local SAD and Congress leaders from Lehragaga Assembly constituency in Sangrur district joined AAP in the presence of Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal.

On June 23, SAD vice-president Sumer Sira resigned from the party without joining any other political outfit. Sira, who had joined the SAD from the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleged that a “cable mafia” had captured organisational posts in districts, including Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib, leaving no space for genuine party workers.

His resignation was followed by another setback for the SAD on June 26, when Guriqbal Singh Mahal, the party’s unsuccessful Qadian Assembly candidate, joined the AAP. Within two days, on June 28, Mann announced Mahal as the AAP’s Qadian constituency in-charge.

The same day, former SAD MLA Darshan Singh Shivalik quit the Badal-led party to join Akali Dal Waris Punjab De (WPD) in the presence of party leader Manpreet Singh Ayali, who himself had switched to the outfit last month.

“The fact is that while the anti-Mann campaign is in full swing, the exodus from the SAD is also continuing. Many leaders are choosing this period to quit the party, and several are joining the AAP. That inevitably raises questions about the SAD’s organisational strength,” a senior SAD leader said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Former SAD MLA Varinder Kaur Loomba and her husband Karan Singh DTO are set to join AAP in Patran on Wednesday in Mann’s presence. Loomba was elected from the Shutrana Assembly constituency in Patiala district on a SAD ticket in the 2012 Punjab Assembly elections and represented the seat till 2017. After unsuccessfully contesting the 2022 Assembly election from Shutrana as the SAD candidate, she joined the breakaway Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) following its formation in 2025. Her switch comes barely a month after former Punjab minister and senior SAD (Punar Surjit) leader Surjit Singh Rakhra also joined the party. Rakhra was in SAD till August 2022.

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Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder meets preachers of the Nanaksar Kaleran sect at Jagraon. (Express Photo)

Akal Takht and Punjab politics

The developments have unfolded over the past fortnight, coinciding with the Akal Takht’s intervention in two politically sensitive issues.

On June 15, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj declared Mann a “Guru dokhi” (anti-Guru) and “Khalsa panth virodhi” (anti-Khalsa community) over a controversial viral video. Three days later, on June 18, the SAD announced that it would launch a Dharam Yudh Morcha from July 19, demanding Mann’s removal as chief minister.

The campaign gained momentum after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) held a meeting on June 23, deciding to spread awareness about the Akal Takht’s edict. From June 24, ‘Boycott Mann’ posters began appearing outside several SGPC-managed gurdwaras and on walls in villages and cities across Punjab. In response, anti-Sukhbir Singh Badal posters appeared in a few places. Both sets of posters were eventually removed.

The controversy acquired another dimension after AAP’s Sikh MLAs appeared before the Akal Takht on Monday regarding the Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Amendment Act, 2026.

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Meanwhile, the SAD has constituted a five-member committee headed by former minister Balwinder Singh Bhundar to mobilise support for the Dharam Yudh Morcha. The committee has been meeting religious organisations and representatives of political parties across the state. On Saturday, it met preachers of the Nanaksar Kaleran sect at Jagraon.

Splinter groups bat for Panthic unity

Unlike the Badal-led SAD, however, Panthic splinter groups have stopped short of rallying behind the Dharam Yudh Morcha.

Former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, who now heads Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), questioned the SGPC’s decision to spend its resources on the ‘Boycott Mann’ poster campaign. “It is very unfortunate…such steps can create unnecessary divisions and clashes in villages. It’s also wrong to use the donations and resources provided by the sangat for these activities. We believe that Shri Akal Takht Sahib should intervene in this matter and order both parties to refrain from such conflicting steps. The dignity of religious institutions, the sanctity of gurdwaras, and social harmony should be kept above political confrontations,” he said last week.

Giani Harpreet Singh’s criticism of the SAD sharpened on Tuesday when he took a swipe at the party’s legal advisers—Daljeet Singh Cheema, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, and Parmjeet Singh Sarna. Referring to the AAP Sikh MLAs appearing before the Akal Takht on Monday, Giani Harpreet Singh remarked that he was “thankful that AAP did not have legal advisers like the SAD”.

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Taking a jibe, he suggested that AAP induct the three SAD leaders into the party because their “legal expertise” would help them find reasons to avoid complying with the Akal Takht’s directions. His comments were a reference to the SAD’s legal stand after the Akal Takht’s December 2, 2024, directives, when the party had argued that certain directions, including conducting the membership drive through an independent committee, could not be implemented because of constitutional and Election Commission provisions.

Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) leader Manpreet Singh Ayali, a rebel SAD MLA from Dakha constituency in Ludhiana district, said Mann should not avoid a confrontation with the Akal Takht. He, however, did not comment on the Dharam Yudh Morcha or the SAD campaign against Mann.

On June 28, Ayali welcomed former SAD MLA Darshan Singh Shivalik into the party in Ludhiana. He reiterated his long-held position on Panthic unity, saying, “The Akali Dal is still one. If Sukhbir Singh Badal steps behind and abandons his personal gains and self-interests, the Akali Dal can be united.”

In SAD’s defence

Senior SAD leader Daljeet Singh Cheema defended his party, saying it was focused on safeguarding Panthic interests and pointed out that “gurdwara committees across Punjab were passing resolutions against Mann”.

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The “real face” of leaders like Giani Harpreet Singh and Manpreet Singh Ayali is now before the public, Cheema said, adding that Giani Harpreet Singh, having himself served as Akal Takht Jathedar, should learn how to uphold the supremacy of the Panth from the incumbent Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj.