SAD president had put brakes on SAD’s membership drive to start it afresh.A panel of senior Akali leaders formed by SAD chief Sukhbir Badal to review the party’s organisational structure in wake of Lok Sabha drubbing met on Wednesday and decided to propose making the party more “representative in nature”.
According to a senior party leader, the panel headed by Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder wants SAD to end the “nomination culture” as far as possible and strengthen its democratic set up right from village level, going up to the circle, then district level and even higher.
Another leader, who was also present during the meeting, said that the panel had discussion to have a “dedicated district presidents” who would not be fielded as party candidates in the elections to ensure that they focus on their duties completely.
The leader said the panel also discussed that while deciding on party tickets feedback of grassroots-level workers and activists should be given due weightage.
The Indian Express had reported that SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, while chairing two party meetings on May 28, was all praise for alliance partner BJP’s organisational structure, its booth level management and the regular meetings of its units at all levels. SAD president had put brakes on SAD’s membership drive to start it afresh. A committee headed by Bhunder was then announced to chalk out the modalities.
The move to review the organisational structrure comes after SAD lost eight of the ten seats it contested in May 19 Lok Sabha elections and there are talks of BJP eyeing more seats to contest in the state polls.
In Vidhan Sabha elections, out of total 117 seats, SAD contests on 94 and BJP on 23.
A SAD leader said that elections to party president were due when over 500 state-level delegates, drawn from among district-level delegates of the party, delegates from other states and a number of delegates from abroad would elect the president.
