Sukhbir Singh Badal, a name synonymous with power and controversy in Punjab, has dominated the state's political landscape for decades. The former member of Parliament from the Firozpur Lok Sabha constituency is the president of Siromani Akali Dal (SAD). Born in 1962, Badal inherited political lineage from both sides of his family. His father, Parkash Singh Badal, served as Chief Minister five times, and his mother, Harbans Kaur, was a Member of Parliament. With such a background, his entry into politics in 1995 was almost inevitable. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Deputy Chief Minister in 2007 and retained the position till 2017. However, his tenure was marred by accusations of corruption, nepotism, and mishandling of the sacrilege incidents of 2015. His party faced criticism from Sikh bodies during its tenure from 2007 to 2017 for various issues. However, the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib started in 2015, followed by the killing of two protesters in Behbal Kalan village of Kotakpura, contributed to the party’s poor performance in the Punjab assembly elections with just 15 seats in the 2017 elections. The Dera Sacha Sauda had openly supported SAD(B) in the 2017 elections. Subsequently, in 2018, during the Congress government’s tenure, an SIT was formed, which charged Dera Sacha Sauda followers in the 2015 sacrilege case. Recently, Sukhbir apologised to the Sikh community for the failure to apprehend the culprits involved in the 2015 sacrilege cases during their party’s government in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sukhbir, who was the sitting MP from Firozpur, decided not to contest the election to make way for new leaders.