Panthic Ekta alliance of Waris Punjab De and SAD (Punar Surjit) breaks apart

Who: Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), the unregistered party of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, whose working president is his father Tarsem Singh; and Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), a faction that broke from Sukhbir Singh Badal's SAD in 2025 and is associated with Giani Harpreet Singh, the former Akal Takht Jathedar. The convener of the joint committee was Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali.

What: On Saturday 18 April 2026 Ayali announced on social media that the coordination committees of both groups had held their first meeting and formed an alliance, constituting a Panthic Unity Coordination Committee with himself as convener. The committee was described as formed for Panthic unity under the Akal Takht's hukamnama of 2 December 2024. The alliance did not hold. Party sources told The Tribune the alliance could not be finalised because of ideological differences, and The Indian Express, as reported by Asia Samachar, said the two sides could not agree on "fundamental and crucial ideological issues". One account says Waris Punjab De's youth objected to some Punar Surjit leaders and that Waris Punjab De cut ties when they did not step aside. On Wednesday 20 May Ayali resigned from all posts in Punar Surjit in a seven-minute video. He said leaders who had "lost the moral right" after the 2 December 2024 hukamnama were still being given positions, and sources said he was unhappy at some leaders "cozying up" to the BJP. He ruled out joining the Congress, the BJP or AAP. Punar Surjit's general secretary Gurpartap Singh Wadala said Ayali had "turned his back" on the Akal Takht, and leaders accused him and Surjit Singh Rakhra, who had joined AAP in mid-May, of putting personal ambition above Panthic unity. On 9 June in Chandigarh Ayali joined Waris Punjab De in front of Tarsem Singh and Mandeep Singh Sidhu, ruled out any alliance with the BJP and named his priorities as the release of Amritpal Singh, the freedom of the Bandi Singhs and Punjab's progress. Because Waris Punjab De is not a registered party, he stayed an SAD MLA on paper. On 21 July Iqbal Singh Jhundan and 15 other leaders split from Punar Surjit and announced an alliance with Waris Punjab De.

Where: Chandigarh and Punjab, with the 2027 Assembly elections as the stated horizon.

Why it mattered: The one attempt that year to gather Panthic groups outside Sukhbir Badal's SAD ahead of the 2027 elections came apart within weeks. Asia Samachar quotes observers who say the Panthic vote has historically split when several Sikh-centred parties compete, which could ultimately help the traditional SAD. The July split gave Waris Punjab De a new ally from inside Punar Surjit.