Akali factions distance themselves from unity under Sukhbir

Amritsar: The talk of patching up the fractured Akali house ran into a predictable speed breaker after both the Shiromani Akali Dal (Reorganised) and Shiromani Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) distanced themselves from any grand unity move floated in political circles—particularly the one hinted at by the Sukhbir Badal-led SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia after his release from Nabha jail in the recent past.The message from both factions is clear - unity, perhaps, but not under the stewardship of Sukhbir Singh Badal. And here lies what some are calling the "silver lining"—unity might be possible, provided one very prominent name is removed from the invitation list.
Both factions squarely blamed the Badal-led party for the controversial police firing incidents at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan, episodes that continue to haunt Punjab's political memory. Add to that the contentious pardon granted to Gurmeet Ram Rahim, chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, in the 2007 blasphemy case, which triggered widespread outrage.Advocate Iman Singh Khara, spokesperson for Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh-led SAD (Waris Punjab De), said, "We can't even think of unity with a party responsible for the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing and granting of pardon to Gurmeet Ram Rahim, besides other violations of Akal Takht directives," he alleged, making it abundantly clear that reconciliation has conditions, and they are non-negotiable.Khara further claimed that there is "immense respect and wanting" for Amritpal across the state, and that people are waiting for the 2027 assembly elections to catapult his party to the top of Punjab's political ladder.Meanwhile, Jagjit Singh Kohli, chief spokesperson of SAD (Reorganised), cited the Dec 2, 2024 Hukamnama to assert that his faction is now the "real" Shiromani Akali Dal. According to him, by abiding by Akal Takht directives, initiating recruitment drives, appointing delegates, and electing a president, the party earned its legitimacy.In short, everyone seems to agree on one thing—they are the real Akalis. The only disagreement is about who exactly qualifies as "real".The buzz in political corridors suggests that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may quietly favour a restructured SAD sans a popular Akali face as the party is not in a position to win a majority of seats and it goes in its favaour to support an alternate Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab. Stating a popular quote "As the saying goes, in politics, yesterday's adversary can be tomorrow's indispensable ally", a political think tank Purshotam Ajnala said, "A strong SAD in Punjab is needed for the Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat and it would seen be revealed which Akali leader leads the state."