Setting its eyes on the state elections due early next year, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has intensified its organisational preparations across the state. The party, which is facing several challenges in its pursuit of returning to power, held talks with a Telangana-based political strategy firm to sharpen its approach.
In a key recent development, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s wife and Bathinda MP, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, has begun participating in internal party meetings.
Insiders described her increased involvement in state-level affairs as significant, noting that she had previously focused on her parliamentary constituency and national politics in Delhi rather than on Punjab’s organisational matters.
The development comes in the backdrop of her brother and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia being occupied with legal challenges.
“Since Bikram is already busy with his legal issues and Sukhbir is also facing challenges related to the sacrilege and police firing incidents from the SAD-BJP government’s tenure, Harsimrat has become more active in state politics, especially within the party,” party insiders said.
Over the past few days, Sukhbir has been overseeing a series of internal meetings with the party’s constituency in-charges, directing them to prepare detailed booth-level and caste-wise voter data. As part of the exercise, a leader from the Youth Akali Dal (YAD) has been attached to each constituency in-charge to strengthen outreach.
For the first time, the party has also appointed constituency presidents for all wings — SC, BC, women and youth.
It was learnt that a series of videos highlighting welfare and development initiatives undertaken during the tenure of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal were also being made.
The campaign would showcase the SAD’s governance record as the party looked to reconnect with the voters, sources said.
Speculation about a possible revival of the SAD-BJP alliance are also rife within the political circles. Notably, Sukhbir, while interacting with media at the party headquarters on Thursday, congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on completing 12 years in office.
A section of workers within both party were said to be in favour of the alliance, describing it as “the need of the hour”.
However, when asked about the possibility, Sukhbir said, “My primary focus is on strengthening the party at the grassroots level rather than engaging in talks about ifs and buts.”
