Pact talks between SAD breakaway faction, Amritpal’s outfit collapse

The alliance talks between the SAD (Punar Surjit) and the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) collapsed on Sunday.

An eight-member Panthic Unity Coordination Committee had earlier been constituted on April 18 with an aim to forge unity between the two factions. Committee member Rachhpal Singh Sosan said several rounds of meetings were held between the two sides, but consensus could not be reached on certain basic and ideological issues, resulting in the breakdown of the talks. The Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) is led by incarcerated Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh while the SAD (Punar Sirjit) is the breakaway faction of the Sukhbir Badal-led SAD.

Sosan said prior to the formation of the coordination committee, there had been a mutual understanding in the light of the Akal Takht edict issued on December 2, 2024, that the leaders who had lost the moral basis to lead the Panth would be kept away from positions of leadership.

“The SAD (Punar Surjit) not only assigned prestigious positions to such leaders but also handed them the leadership, which was against the expectations of the Sikh community,” said Sosan.

The committee members accused the SAD breakaway faction of repeatedly making irresponsible statements.

“After detailed consultations with the senior leadership of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), it has been decided to discontinue the coordination process,” Rachhpal Singh said. SAD (Punar Surjit) leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur said his party had shared a vision document and both sides were in agreement over its contents. “They never talked about the December 2 Akal Takht edict,” he said. Chhotepur said the Khadoor Sahib MP had already been projected by the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) as the chief ministerial candidate. “Despite this, we never sought position or power sharing. Our effort was to forge an alliance in the larger Panthic interest,” he said