Tarn Taran: Most interesting contest to watch is between SAD factions

While SAD (Badal) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has mounted an aggressive campaign targeting the Congress over 1984 Op Bluestar, anti-Badal fronts have rallied behind Mandeep Singh, whose campaign carries emotional weight due to his brother Sandeep Singh Sunny’s imprisonment in a controversial jail case.

Mandeep Singh’s candidature has its roots in the support that consolidated around Sunny, now lodged in Patiala jail. Sunny became a symbolic figure among anti-SAD (Badal) groups after he allegedly assaulted former police officer Suba Singh, who had been convicted in six fake encounter cases and later died of his injuries. Sunny was already facing trial in the killing of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri, and the jail incident elevated him as a figure of resistance among these factions.

With Sunny imprisoned and unable to contest, factions including Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) came together to field Mandeep Singh as the political face of their collective position in the by-election.

The symbolic dimensions deepened when a Hindu family from Tarn Taran, which fought a 32-year legal battle to prove their son’s fake encounter killing, extended support to Mandeep Singh. “We feel sympathy for Mandeep Singh’s brother and their struggle for justice,” said Bobby, brother of Gulshan Kumar. Gulshan’s case was among those documented by human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Khalra’s widow, Paramjit Kaur, has also endorsed Mandeep Singh. “This campaign reflects the unresolved pain of thousands of families who lost sons to fake encounters,” said human rights activist Sarabjit Singh Verka.

Tarn Taran falls under the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency, currently represented by Amritpal Singh, the jailed head of Waris Punjab De. Amritpal floated his outfit as a rival to the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), which has experienced a steady decline, securing only three seats in the 2022 Assembly election and just one in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In contrast, two independents with a strong panthic agenda won two Lok Sabha seats, signalling a shift in the Sikh religious-political space. Amritpal won Khadoor Sahib in 2024 by nearly two lakh votes, and Tarn Taran continues to reflect the panthic consolidation behind his victory.

SAD (Badal) is attempting to reclaim its traditional base by projecting its candidate’s family as part of the “Dharmi Fauji” legacy, referring to Sikh soldiers who left the army during Operation Blue Star. The party is relying on its organisational depth and established vote bank to counter the emotional momentum behind Mandeep Singh.

Political observers say the outcome of the by-election could have a defining impact on Akali politics ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. “Despite the presence of AAP and Congress, the real fight is between SAD (Badal) and the breakaway Akali factions,” said a senior political observer. “The result will indicate who still commands the Panthic pulse.”