Shiromani Akali Dal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shiromani Akali Dal
President	Sukhbir Singh Badal
Lok Sabha leader	Harsimrat Kaur Badal
Founded	14 December 1920 (103 years ago) (1920-12-14)
Headquarters	Block #6, Madhya Marg Sector 28, Chandigarh
Newspaper	Akali Awaaz
Student wing	Student Organisation of India
Youth wing	Youth Akali Dal
Women's wing	Istri Akali Dal
Labour wing	Shiromani Akali Dal SC wing
Peasant's wing	Shiromani Akali Dal BC wing
Ideology	Punjabiyat Punjabi nationalism Conservatism Federalism
Political position	Centre-right
Colours	Navy Blue & Saffron
ECI Status	State Party
Alliance	SAD+BSP (2021-2023) SAD+INLD (2021-2023) National Democratic Alliance (1998–2020)
Seats in Lok Sabha	2 / 543
Seats in Rajya Sabha	0 / 245
Seats in Punjab Legislative Assembly	3 / 117
Election symbol
Elections

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) (translation: Supreme Army of God) is a centre-right Sikh-centric state political party in Punjab, India. The party is the second-oldest in India, after Congress, being founded in 1920. Although there are many parties with the description Akali Dal, the party that is recognized as "Shiromani Akali Dal" by the Election Commission of India is the one led by Sukhbir Singh Badal. The party has a moderate Punjabi agenda. On 26 September 2020, they left the NDA over the farm bills.

History

British India

Akali Dal was formed on 14 December 1920 as a task force of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, the Sikh religious body. The Akali Dal considers itself the principal representative of Sikhs. Sardar Sarmukh Singh Chubbal was the first president of a unified proper Akali Dal, but it became popular under Master Tara Singh. Akali movement influenced 30 new Punjabi newspapers launched between 1920 and 1925.

In the provincial election of 1937, the Akali Dal won 10 seats. The Khalsa Nationalists won 11 seats and joined the coalition government headed by the Unionist leader Sikander Hyat Khan. The Akalis sat in opposition and made occasional forays into reaching an understanding with the Muslim League, which never reached fruition.

In the provincial election of 1946, the Akali Dal won 22 seats and joined the coalition government headed by the Unionist Khizar Hayat Khan Tiwana, along with the Indian National Congress. The Muslim League was unable to capture power, despite having won the largest number of seats, which perhaps suited it fine as it strengthened its Pakistan demand. The Muslim League launched a civil disobedience campaign, bringing down the Tiwana government by March 1947. The rest of the period till Indian independence was filled by Governor's Rule.

As with other Sikh organisations, Master Tara Singh and his Akali Dal strongly opposed the partition of Punjab, which he thought would create an environment of possible persecution as they supported the idea of “Azad Punjab”(Free Punjab).

Post Independence India

In the 1950s, the party launched the Punjabi Suba movement, demanding a state with majority of Punjabi speaking people, out of undivided East Punjab under the leadership of Sant Fateh Singh. In 1966, the present Punjab was formed. Akali Dal came to power in the new Punjab in March 1967, but early governments didn't live long due to internal conflicts and power struggles within the party. Later, party strengthened and party governments completed full term.

Modern Factions

Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa along with other Akali leaders came together at a Gurdwara in Ludhiana on July 7, 2020 to re-establish SAD (D).Dhindsa was chosen as president of the revived political party. He claimed SAD (D) as the true Shiromani Akali Dal and that the one so called was taken over by the Badal family.

Prior to this in late 2018, expelled senior members of Shiromani Akali Dal Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Rattan Singh Ajnala, Sewa Singh Sekhwan, their relatives and others had formed SAD (T). The reasoning of the expelling was due to their accusations of the Badal family steering Shiromani Akali Dal in the wrong path.

Ahead of the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, both SAD (T) and SAD (D) were dissolved to be merged together into a new political party by the name of Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt). This party entered into the National Democratic Alliance to contest the Punjab elections alongside the candidates of Bharatiya Janata Party.

Ideology

Shiromani Akali Dal's main goals are the protection of Sikh rights, Punjab's waters, and opposition to the Sutlej Yamuna link canal.

1996 Moga Conference

In 1996, at a historic conference in Moga, Shiromani Akali Dal adopted a moderate Punjabi agenda and shifted party headquarters from Amritsar to Chandigarh.

Party presidents

Following is the list of presidents of the party as given on party website.

S. No.	Name	Portrait	Term Start	Term End
1	Sarmukh Singh Jhabal	?	14 December 1920	?
2	Kharak Singh		?	?
3	Master Tara Singh		?	?
4	Gopal Singh Qaumi		?	?
5	Tara Singh Thethar	?	?	?
6	Teja Singh Akarpuri		?	?
7	Babu Labh Singh	?	?	?
8	Udham Singh Nagoke		?	?
9	Giani Kartar Singh	?	?	?
10	Pritam Singh Gojran (Gujjran Sangrur)	?	?	?
11	Hukam Singh		?	?
12	Fateh Singh	?	?	?
13	Achar Singh	?	?	?
14	Bhupinder Singh	?	?	?
15	Mohan Singh Tur		?	?
16	Jagdev Singh Talwandi		?	?
17	Harchand Singh Longowal		?	20 August 1985
18	Surjit Singh Barnala		27 September 1985	1996
19	Parkash Singh Badal		1996	2008
20	Sukhbir Singh Badal		2008	Incumbent

Current Members in Houses

Punjab Chief Ministers belonging to Akali Dal

In general elections

Year	General election	Seats won	Change in # of seats	Percentage of vote	Vote swing
1945 Indian general election	6th Central Legislative Assembly	2	2
1951 Indian general election	1st Lok Sabha	4		0.99%
1957 Indian general election	2nd Lok Sabha	0	4
1962 Indian general election	3rd Lok Sabha	3	3	0.72%
1967 Indian general election	4th Lok Sabha	0	3
1971 Indian general election	5th Lok Sabha	1	1	0.87%
1977 Indian general election	6th Lok Sabha	9	8	1.26%
1980 Indian general election	7th Lok Sabha	1	8	0.71%
1984 Indian general election	8th Lok Sabha	7	7	17.9%
1989 Indian general election	9th Lok Sabha	0	7
1991 Indian general election	10th Lok Sabha	0
1996 Indian general election	11th Lok Sabha	8	8	0.76%
1998 Indian general election	12th Lok Sabha	8		0.81%
1999 Indian general election	13th Lok Sabha	2	6	25.58%
2004 Indian general election	14th Lok Sabha	8	6	34.28%
2009 Indian general election	15th Lok Sabha	4	4	0.96%
2014 Indian general election	16th Lok Sabha	4		20.30%	13.55%
2019 Indian general election	17th Lok Sabha	2	2

In state elections

Punjab

Provincial Assembly elections
Election Year	Seats won	Change
1937	11
1946	20	9

Legislative Assembly elections
Election Year	Leader	seats contested	seats won	+/- in seats	Overall votes	% of overall votes	+/- in vote share	Sitting side
1952	Gopal Singh Khalsa	48	13	13	620,455	12.44	12.44	Left (Opposition)
1957	Contested with Congress and 28 Akali leaders won.
1962	Gurnam Singh	46	16	16	799,925	11.87	11.87	Left (Opposition)
1967	Sant Fateh Singh (SFSG)	59	24	24	871,742	20.48	20.48	Left (Opposition)
	Master Tara Singh (MTSG)	61	2	2	178,746	4.20	4.20
1969	Gurnam Singh	65	43	43	1,381,916	29.36	29.36	Right (Government)
1972	Jaswinder Singh Brar	72	24	19	1,344,437	27.64	1.72	Left (Opposition)
1977	Parkash Singh Badal	70	58	34	1,776,602	31.41	3.8	Right (Government)
1980	Harchand Singh Longowal	73	37	21	1,683,266	26.92	4.49	Left (Opposition)
1985	Surjit Singh Barnala	100	73	23	2,630,270	38.01	11.09	Right (Government)
1992	Bycotted the elections
1997	Parkash Singh Badal	92	75	75	3,873,099	37.64	37.64	Right (Government)
2002			41	34	3,196,924	31.08	6.56	Left (Opposition)
2007		93	48	7	4,689,018	37.09	6.01	Right (Government)
2012		94	56	8	4,828,612	34.73	2.36	Right (Government)
2017			15	41	3,898,161	25.2	9.4	Left (Opposition)
2022	Sukhbir Singh Badal	97	3	12	2,861,286	18.38	6.86	Left (Opposition)

Haryana

• 2009
• 2014

Delhi

• 2013
• 2015

See also

In Spanish: Partido Akali para niños

• Splinter groups of the Akali Dal
• Sikhism
• Tara Singh
• Babu Labh Singh
• Akali (disambiguation)
• Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt)
• List of political parties in India