Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit)

What it is: Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) is a breakaway Akali party led by Giani Harpreet Singh, a former jathedar of the Akal Takht. It presents itself as the Akali Dal that follows the Akal Takht’s directions of 2 December 2024, as against the party led by Sukhbir Singh Badal.

How it began, in order

• Before 30 August 2024: dissident Akali leaders, several of them ministers in the 2007 to 2017 government, complained to the Akal Takht about Sukhbir Badal. The Tribune calls them the expelled dissidents; among them were Bibi Jagir Kaur, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Sarwan Singh Phillaur.
• 30 August and 2 December 2024: the Akal Takht declared Sukhbir tankhaiya and pronounced his tankhah. It told the Akali Dal to accept his resignation and hold a membership drive and elections within six months, and named a committee to oversee the drive.
• 11 February 2025: the SGPC dismissed Giani Harpreet Singh as jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, citing “moral misconduct”. On 17 February SGPC president Dhami resigned and stepped away from the seven-member committee.
• 12 April 2025: about 500 delegates re-elected Sukhbir Badal as Akali Dal president, unopposed.
• 11 August 2025: at Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh, Amritsar, the five-member committee appointed by the Akal Takht elected Giani Harpreet Singh president, unanimously, at a delegate session in which 478 of 528 delegates took part. Bibi Satwant Kaur was chosen chairperson of the Panthic Council. The group calls itself the “real” Akali Dal and said it would seek Election Commission recognition.

Since then: On 18 April 2026 an eight-member Panthic Unity Coordination Committee was formed to bring the party together with the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) of Amritpal Singh. Talks ended on 17 May 2026. The Waris Punjab De side said there was no agreement on “basic and ideological issues” and that Punar Surjit had given prominent posts to leaders who, under the 2 December directive, should stay out of leadership. Punar Surjit’s Sucha Singh Chhotepur said both sides had agreed on a vision document and noted that Waris Punjab De had already put Amritpal forward as its chief ministerial candidate. In the same week Surjit Singh Rakhra left for AAP and the Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali resigned from all party posts, saying leaders found guilty of religious misconduct had been given key positions.

On 29 August 2026 Harpreet Singh said the party is open to an alliance with the BJP on a defined agenda for Punjab and the Panth, and that talks are on. The Tribune called this the first time the faction openly acknowledged them. He ruled out any alliance with the Badal-led Akali Dal, which he says has turned into a family concern that “turned their back on the Akal Takht” while in power.

Where it stands: Wikipedia says the Election Commission recognises the Sukhbir Badal party as the Shiromani Akali Dal, so the breakaway fights as a separate party. Gurpartap Singh Wadala is its general secretary, according to the Tribune in May 2026. The Tribune reported in August 2026 that the Badal party is trying to stop Punar Surjit and the Waris Punjab De party from reaching its conservative Sikh voters.