Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) rebels, led by Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, have approached the Election Commission of India (EC) to register their new political outfit Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic), party leader Parminder Singh Dhindsa said on Tuesday.
Mr. Sukhdev Dhindsa and his son, former Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, were expelled from the SAD for “anti-party” activities earlier this year. They had rebelled against the top party leadership, demanding Sukhbir Badal’s, who is currently party president, resignation to restore to the party’s “lost glory”.
Mr. Parminder Dhindsa said that an application has been submitted with the EC for registering the outfit under the name Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic). “We had applied a couple of days ago. We are hopeful once the required process is completed the party will be registered,” he said.
Mr. Parminder said that the party’s objective would be to provide good governance to the State and its people, and to fight for the rights of Punjab. Hitting out at the SAD (Badal), Mr. Parminder said that they had lost all credibility among the masses. “The Badal family has been using the party for serving their personal interests,” he said.
Mr. Parminder said that the party plans to expand across the State and that it will also be looking forward to forge alliances with like-minded parties. “However, at this point any alliance with the BJP seems unlikely. Until the BJP withdraws the anti-farm Bills, we would not be going with them,” he said.
SAD (Badal) had been accusing both the ‘Dhindsa’ faction and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of becoming social media agents of the Congress party, stating that these parties were working at the behest of the Congress to form a grand alliance against the SAD (Badal).