Fragmented Fields

The century-old Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) faces an existential crisis as radical factions gain ground in volatile Punjab.

Punjab

The resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal as president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a once-dominant political force, marks a watershed moment for the 104-year-old party currently navigating stormy political waters in the Punjab. While Badal’s departure is being interpreted as a course correction, it underscores the existential crisis facing the SAD as it struggles to reclaim its relevance in a rapidly evolving political landscape.

For decades, the SAD epitomized Sikh identity, championing the community’s political and cultural aspirations. Yet, under the stewardship of the Badal family, the party gradually alienated its core base. Its poor electoral performances in successive Assembly elections in 2017 and 2022 and the dismal results in successive Lok Sabha elections has laid bare the disillusionment of its traditional support base.

The erosion of the SAD’s influence can be traced to its perceived deviation from Sikh ‘panthic’ issues. Under Badal, the party appeared more concerned with consolidating dynastic power than adhering to its ideological roots. The pardon of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case, a decision taken during the SAD’s government tenure, provoked outrage within the Sikh community. The Akal Takht, Sikhism’s highest temporal authority, had declared Badal a tankhaiya (a person guilty of religious misconduct), demanding religious penance which he completed late last year.

Yet these attempts to seek forgiveness and restore credibility failed to resonate. The Badals’ influence has waned, creating space for radical voices and rebellious factions to fill the void.

The political turbulence in Punjab has emboldened hardliners and radical elements, with potentially destabilizing consequences for the region. Amritpal Singh, the controversial preacher and pro-Khalistan advocate who is the MP from Khadoor Sahib, has launched a new political outfit along with MP Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa (the son of Indira Gandhi’s assassin Beant Singh) despite being incarcerated under the National Security Act. His supporters, leveraging social media platforms, have galvanized significant youth backing.

The victories of independent candidates, including Khalsa and Amritpal Singh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections signal a significant shift that hardliners, long relegated to the periphery of Punjab politics, are now at the forefront.

Adding to the SAD’s woes, party rebels, unhappy with the leadership’s failure to fully implement directives from the Akal Takht, are deliberating on forming their own outfit. These developments threaten to further fragment the Akali vote bank, which had traditionally unified around panthic issues.

Simranjit Singh Mann, another hardliner and president of SAD (Amritsar), has also gained momentum, notably winning the Sangrur by-election in 2022. His calls for panthic gatherings to pursue Sikh sovereignty echo the ideology of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, whose bitter and divisive legacy looms large in Punjab’s political memory.

The region’s political instability is rooted in decades of economic distress and social upheaval. The state, once synonymous with the Green Revolution, is grappling with stagnant agricultural growth, mounting farmer debt and a deepening drug crisis. These challenges have left its youth disillusioned, making them susceptible to radical ideologies.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) sweeping victory in the 2022 Assembly elections, securing 92 of 117 seats, hinted at an impulse for change. However, the AAP’s governance has done little to address Punjab’s systemic issues, leaving a political vacuum ripe for exploitation by both hardliners and SAD’s rivals.

The Akali Dal’s predicament is further complicated by its strained relationship with the BJP. The alliance, once a cornerstone of Punjab politics, collapsed over the contentious farm laws introduced by the Centre (later repealed). Rebuilding trust with rural voters, who form the backbone of the SAD’s support, is a monumental task.

Punjab’s fragmented political field today risks exacerbating communal tensions, undermining governance, and alienating the state from national mainstream politics. While the SAD seeks to reclaim its panthic identity, it faces fierce competition from radical elements and former allies turned rivals.

The onus is now on the Akalis to rise up to the challenge or risk ceding ground to newer, more radical players.