Farmers Movement Archive

Harsimrat inducted into SAD working committee

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has inducted former Union minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal into the party’s working committee, the highest decision-making body of the SAD. Party president Sukhbir Singh Badal announced a new list of 87 members of the working committee. There are 101 members in the working committee and the vacant positions will be filled soon. According to the Akali top brass, party’s patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and five-time chief minister, will continue to be at the top of the hierarchy as patron. In Harsimrat’s nomination, party sees an opportunity to rehabilitate her after she had resigned from the Narendra Modi cabinet last year as a mark of protest against the three farm bills. Her resignation coincided with the party’s decision to cut four-decade ties with the BJP. In the recast, many new faces have been inducted, including Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa and SAD’s Delhi wing president Harmeet Singh Kalka. Both were inducted to keep party’s flock together keeping in mind the DSGMC polls expected to take place later this year. In the list of office-bearers announced a few days ago, party’s old-timer and Badals’ confidante Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhundar has been given a pivotal role as secretary general. He replaced Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who resigned from the party’s second senior-most post after the incidents of sacrilege of the holy scriptures. He had formed a separate Akali faction SAD (Democratic). “The core committee that often meets at short notices to take decision and ponder on key issues concerning the party has members chosen from the working committee,” said party senior vice-president and spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur, its former presidents Kirpal Singh Badungar and Gobind Singh Longowal also figured on the list. The party has tried to strike a balance of region, caste and age in the recast done after a gap of five years. The first-timers on the list also include Youth Akali Dal (YAD) president Parmbans Singh Bunty Romana, first-time MLAs Kanwarjit Singh Rozi Barkandi, Dilraj Singh Bhunder and Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra. Barjinder Singh Brar son of Taksali Akali Tota Singh and former SSP Harmohan Singh Sandhu, son of Satwant Kaur Sandhu, who died recently, also figure on the list. Tota Singh to head disciplinary committee SAD president also constituted a three-member disciplinary committee led by Jathedar Tota Singh. Former minister Gulzar Singh Ranike and former MLA Parkash Chand Garg are the other two members. Interestingly, Tota Singh replaced former MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, who was expelled from the party in 2019 for anti-party activities.

Hindustan Times

16-03-2021

Chandigarh