After dismal show at polls, Akali Dal to rejig party organisational structure

Going, forward, party will stick to ‘one family one ticket’ rule, says Sukhbir Singh Badal

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said the party would establish its new organisational structure from the “bottom to up” through an electoral system to be overseen by a newly constituted Central Election Body, aimed at strengthening the party.

SAD faced a drubbing in the 2022 Punjab Assembly election. The party’s dismal performance in the recently concluded byelection in Sangrur parliamentary constituency was yet another grim reminder of the crisis staring at the SAD, and its top leadership.

On the changes being instituted by the party, Mr. Badal said focus would be on developing the next generation of leaders by reserving 50% seats in the forthcoming assembly election for party workers below the age of 50 years.

Mr. Badal said changes would be effected at the highest level of decision making in the party, including the core committee. “The core committee would be reconstituted to include members of the new generation, including youth, women and representatives of all sections of society,” he said at a press conference.

He also announced that going forward, the party would follow the principle of ‘one family one ticket’. If the party were to form the government, the chairmanships at both the district and State level would be given to party workers and that family members of MPs and MLAs would not be considered for these posts, he explained.

“The aim is to give maximum opportunity to workers and groom them as the next generation of leaders”. He also announced that henceforth district presidents of the party would not contest the elections.

Mr. Badal said elections to the new organisational structure would be completed by November 30, with 117 Observers overseeing the entire exercise across all constituencies of the State. “The focus will be on creation of booth committees, which will choose the booth president. The latter will elect the circle presidents who in turn will elect the district presidents,” he said.