Shiromani Akali Dal gets its 22nd president
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ April 12,2025
500 plus delegates of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have elected Sukhbir Singh Badal as its new president. Badal elected unopposed as India’s oldest regional party president.
Sukhbir Singh Badal (born 9 July 1962) son of former five times Punjab’s chief minister Prakash Singh Badal, is an Indian politician and businessman who served twice as the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, In 2008, Sukhbir Singh Badal was first elected as party’s president. In 2024 he had resigned from the post of party president after Akal Takht Sahib Verdict.
Sukhbir Singh Badal was a member of the 11th and 12th Lok Sabha, representing Faridkot. He was Union Minister of State for Industry in Second Vajpayee Ministry during 1998 to 1999. He was also a member of Rajya Sabha during 2001 to 2004. In 2004, he was re-elected from Faridkot for 14th Lok Sabha. He became the President of Akali Dal in January 2008. A year later in January 2009, he was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab. He was not the Member of Punjab Vidhan Sabha at that time. He resigned in July 2009, upon the completion of six-month period available for contesting elections for the assembly, during which he didn’t contest any elections. He was again appointed Deputy Chief Minister in August 2009 after winning by-elections from Jalalabad Assembly constituency.
The Shiromani Akali Dal carries within itself a legacy of 105 years. It was established on December 14, 1920, with the support of the Gurdwara Management Committee, with the aim of becoming the religious, social, and political voice of the Sikh community.
21 presidents of SAD
Sarmukh Singh Jhabal
Baba Kharak Singh
Master Tara Singh
Gopal Singh Qaumi
Tara Singh Thekedar
Teja Singh Akarpuri
Babu Labh Singh
Jathedar Udham Singh Nagoke
Giani Kartar Singh
Jathedar Pritam Singh Gojran
Hukum Singh
Sant Fateh Singh
Jathedar Achhar Singh
Giani Bhupinder Singh
Jathedar Mohan Singh Tur
Sant Harchand Singh Longowal
Surjit Singh Barnala
Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi
Parkash Singh Badal
Sukhbir Singh Badal
Balwinder Singh Bunder (Present Working President)
How SAD President is elected?
Shiromani Akali Dal shall be organized at the village level. Members of the village Jatha will elect one member for every 100 members as general member of their Circle Akali Jatha. Every 25members of the Circle Akali Jatha shall elect one Delegate for the Distt. Jatha. Each Distt. Jatha shall elect Delegates for the general house of Shiromani Akali Dal only in accordance with the quota allotted by the Akali Dal to the Districts. For each Delegate elected by the District Jatha, a minimum of 500 primary members should have been enrolled.
All jathedars (Presidents) of the Shiromani Akali Dal, State Akali and Distt. Akali Jathas who have remained on that position for a minimum of one year and fill in the application form for the primary membership of the Jatha of which they were Presidents shall be treated as General Members of that Jatha.
Enrolment of primary membership of Akali Dal will be held every three years. Delegates to the Circle, District, State & Shiromani Akali Dal and office bearers of the village jathas shall hold office for a period of three years, but the election by the general house of the Circle Jathas, Distt. Jathas , President , State Akali Dal , President Shiromani Akali Dal will be elected by their respective general houses for three years. The Working Committees shall
comprise of 51 members including office bearers. The President shall nominate 31 members including the office bearers the remaining 20 shall be directly elected by the general house. The Shiromani Akali Dal Working Committee will have the dates of enrolment and election. The Working Committee will have the right to postpone the date for enrolment and election for special reasons.
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