4 min readAmritsarMar 9, 2025 01:15 PM IST
First published on: Mar 9, 2025 at 11:04 AM IST
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) acting president Balwinder Singh Bhunder has openly accused former president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s brother-in-law and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia of betrayal. This accusation has shifted the balance of power in the Punjab Assembly away from Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The party had only three MLAs in the Punjab Assembly, and one of them, Sukhwinder Sukhi, joined the Aam Aadmi Party last year. The second MLA, Manpreet Singh Ayali, remained silent for an extended period. Ayali was faced with a decision when former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh nominated him to a seven-member committee tasked with starting a new membership drive for the party on December 2 of last year.
The SAD, however, disagreed with the idea of a seven-member committee, and Ayali openly supported former Akal Takht Jatehdar Giani Raghbir Singh. He also opposed the Shiromani Committee’s decision to remove Raghubir Singh from his position.
The only MLA left in the SAD was Ganieve Kaur Majithia, the wife of Bikram Singh Majithia. She is expected to support her husband if the feud between Sukhbir Singh Badal and Majithia continues.
Sukhbir Singh Badal’s wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, is the only elected party member from Bathinda in parliament, while her brother, Bikram Singh Majithia, remains a notable figure. However, Sukhbir lacks any close MLA allies in the Assembly.
There has been significant resentment within the SAD. Numerous state and district-level SAD leaders have either openly expressed their dissatisfaction or resigned from their positions prior to the start of the party’s membership drive in January this year. This discontent stems from the removal of the Jathedars.
Former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal has opposed the decision to remove the Jathedars. “As a former president of SGPC, I condemn the decision to remove the Jathedars. This decision raises questions about the functioning of the SGPC,” said Longowal.
The following people have resigned from their positions in the SAD Haryana unit: Sharanjit Singh Sahota (SAD Haryana unit president), Sarabjot Singh Sabbi (SAD general secretary and incharge of Mukerian assembly), Kuldeep Singh Cheema (president of Youth Akali Dal Kaithal), Hari Singh (managing director of Preet Combine), Inderjit Singh Bindra, Gurinder Singh Gogi, Jaswant Singh Bhullar, Surjit Singh Mandi, and Pritam Singh Bhullar. They expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision to remove the Jathedars.
Rebel former Rajya Sabha leader Prem Singh Chandumajra has stated that 150 leaders from SAD will resign from their positions in the coming days.
A significant challenge for Sukhbir Singh Badal will be maintaining control over the SGPC. The organisation currently lacks a president after Harjinder Singh Dhami resigned last month due to the ongoing crisis.
The SGPC’s annual budget session is scheduled for March 28 at the Teja Singh Samundri Hall, located at the organization’s headquarters in Amritsar. It will be interesting to see if the SAD-controlled SGPC can pass a resolution to remove the current Jathedars and appoint new ones during this meeting. This step is essential to validate any decisions made outside of the house.
If the feud between Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia escalates, it may also impact the dynamics within the SGPC, which is the last stronghold for Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Sukhbir Singh Badal (File Photo/Rana Simranjit Singh) 
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