CHANDIGARH: Sukhbir Badal was re-elected as president of Shiromani Akali Dal during the organisational election at Amritsar. The move comes months after him resigning from the post over a religious punishment.The 105-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is grappling to maintain its political relevance in Punjab today.Party sources said that Sukhbir was both the ‘favourite’ and ‘the only candidate. The election follow the conclusion of a three-month-long membership drive. The session for electing SAD’s new president was held at the Teja Singh Samundari hall in Golden Temple complex at Amritsar. It is also the administrative hub of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The SAD had chosen a total of 567 delegates — four each from 117 assembly constituencies across the State to cast their vote for the new party chief. Badal’s name was proposed by party’s working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar and party leader Paramjit Singh Sarna seconded it.His supporters launched a ‘massive’ campaign on social media, branding him as a ‘development’ man (vikas purush). Also, a new slogan, “Punjab di pukar, Sukhbir di sarkar,” was introduced. While the SAD once held significant sway over Punjab politics and had currently just two MLAs in the state assembly, Ganieve Kau, wife of former minister Bikram Singh Majithia, who is brother-in-law of Badal seen as a loyalist of the Badal camp. The other is Manpreet Singh Ayali, who has been consistently calling for leadership change in the party. Several senior party leaders, including Badal’s wife and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, former ministers Bikram Singh Majithia, Daljit Singh Cheema, and senior leader Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, were present.
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