Ranjit Brahampura (File) Ranjit Singh Brahampura, a stalwart in Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt), the breakaway faction of Akali Dal, is likely to join the Shiromani Akali Dal on Thursday, in a move that political experts said can prove to be a jolt for the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led faction.
Apart from Brahampura, All India Sikh Students Federation patron Karnail Singh Peermohammad, who is the chief spokesperson of SAD (Sanyukt), will also join SAD along with a number of other leaders of the breakaway faction.
Brahampura on Wednesday told The Indian Express, “There was tremendous pressure from the people/constituents to fight together. Also, Sukhbir [Badal] has sought forgiveness for the mistakes which he had committed. Another thing is that Akal Takht Jathedar has stated that the panth should get united. So, I have decided to join back the Akali Dal.”
In the wake of the SAD’s 2017 electoral debacle, veteran Akali leaders, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Ranjit Singh Brahampura, and Late Sewa Singh Sekhwan, had blamed Sukhbir for the “worst-ever political performance of the party”, in which the SAD finished third, winning only 15 seats in the 117-member Punjab Vidhan Sabha. sBrahampura, Sekhwan, and former MP, Rattan Singh Ajnala, were expelled by the SAD in November 2018 and went on to form their own outfit – Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali).
Rattan Singh Ajnala’s son Amarpal Singh Bony Ajnala is now SAD candidate from Ajnala for the 2022 Punjab elections.
SAD (Sanyukt) was formed after the merger of SAD (Taksali) and Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) formed by Sukhdev Dhindsa. Sources said SAD (Sanyukt) is angling to ally with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and is likely to have a truck with the saffron party after the end of the farm stir.
Dhindsa was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in the country, in March 2019. He returned the award in December 2020 to express solidarity with the farmers’ agitation against the three contentious farm laws.
On December 4, while reacting on BJP national president Amit Shah’s statement that his may go into the Punjab elections in alliance with parties of Captain Amarinder Singh and former Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Brahampura had told The Indian Express that such
talks of alliance were “baseless” and had added, “We are having no discussions on any alliance with Shah, Captain or BJP nor with Badal’s party or the Congress. We will have no such discussions in future also”. Karnail Singh Peermohammad, who is also set to join SAD on Thursday, said, “BJP is a party remote-controlled by Delhi.”
He said SAD (Sanyukt) had raised several issues with the BJP-led government concerning Punjab, like Chandigarh as the capital of the state, the release of Sikh prisoners, economic package to waive farm loans, but the BJP “did not commit anything”. He added, “So, we are going with the regional party after addressing internal differences.”
Ranjit Singh Brahampura’s son Ravinder Singh Brahampura, who is former MLA from Khadoor Sahib, said, “Why should we hand over our beard to Delhi (Asin aapni daarhi Delhi de hath kyon faraiye). We are committed to the Akal Takht and we have decided to go by the regional party”.
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