New Shiromani Akali Dal, New Leader – But Will It Resolve the Crisis of Sikh Politics of Punjab?
Update: 2025-08-12
Description
On 11 August 2025, a breakaway faction from the Badal-led SAD announced a new Shiromani Akali Dal, with former SGPC-appointed acting Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Harpreet Singh, as president. This marks yet another split in Punjab’s Sikh political landscape, deepening the trend of fragmentation.
Just months earlier, in January, Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh’s family and supporters launched their own Akali Dal in Mukatsar. Meanwhile, the Badal faction has restructured under Sukhbir Singh Badal.
In this in-depth discussion, journalist Mandeep Singh talks to Sikh Siyasat editor Parmjeet Singh Gazi about:
How will the formation of new Sikh electoral parties impact Sikh politics in Punjab?
Why is Sikh politics moving further down the path of fragmentation?
What are the likely outcomes of these moves, and how will they affect Sikh institutions and political discourse in Punjab?
Can a mere change in leadership pull Sikh electoral politics out of its current crisis?
What will be the impact of appointing Giani Harpreet Singh—who is the first from the so-termed SC community to lead a Sikh political party—as president of SAD?
How do these moves fail to address the deeper causes of the crisis?
Just months earlier, in January, Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh’s family and supporters launched their own Akali Dal in Mukatsar. Meanwhile, the Badal faction has restructured under Sukhbir Singh Badal.
In this in-depth discussion, journalist Mandeep Singh talks to Sikh Siyasat editor Parmjeet Singh Gazi about:
How will the formation of new Sikh electoral parties impact Sikh politics in Punjab?
Why is Sikh politics moving further down the path of fragmentation?
What are the likely outcomes of these moves, and how will they affect Sikh institutions and political discourse in Punjab?
Can a mere change in leadership pull Sikh electoral politics out of its current crisis?
What will be the impact of appointing Giani Harpreet Singh—who is the first from the so-termed SC community to lead a Sikh political party—as president of SAD?
How do these moves fail to address the deeper causes of the crisis?
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