The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) suffered a major setback in Ludhiana as Darshan Singh Shivalik, its former MLA from the Gill constituency, formally joined the Akali Dal-Waris Punjab De at a public event attended by Amritpal Singh’s father Tarsem Singh and senior leader Manpreet Singh Ayali.
Shivalik, who was active in Gill for long, said his decision was guided by two core objectives — rescuing state’s youth from the grip of drugs and safeguarding the Panth.
Expressing disillusionment, he alleged that his dedication was not valued in the SAD and accused several party leaders of working against it.
The move is seen as a significant loss for the SAD, with Shivalik declaring that he now places his trust in Tarsem Singh’s leadership to protect Sikh values and guide youth onto the right path.
Speaking openly about internal rifts, Ayali said: “The Akali Dal is still one. If Sukhbir Singh Badal abandons personal gains and selfish interests, we can reunite.”
Stressing the party’s vision, Ayali said Akali Dal ‘Waris Punjab De’ alone could provide the right direction and governance to the state.
During the event, the party also expressed its support for ensuring compliance with the ‘hukamnama’ issued by the Akal Takht in the matter of the controversial video. He said the Akal Takht was the highest temporal authority of the Sikh community and its directives were supreme.
He said he would appear before the Akal Takht on June 29 in accordance with its directions.
Tarsem Singh said Punjab needs a purely Panthic government. He announced that Akali Dal-’Waris Punjab De’ would contest the forthcoming Punjab Assembly elections under the leadership of MP Amritpal Singh, who was the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate.
He said people from every section of society were standing firmly with the party and its policies.
He also made it clear that it would not enter into any alliance with any national party in the upcoming Assembly elections. He said only a regional party could effectively resolve Punjab’s issues.
Shivalik thanked the party leadership for reposing faith in him and said he would discharge whatever responsibility was entrusted to him with dedication and sincerity. He said after trying different political parties, the people of the state now have high expectations from the Akali Dal-Waris Punjab De and it would live up to the expectations.
