CHANDIGARH: Amid rumblings for change in the Shiromani Akali Dal, several of its senior leaders including Prem Singh Chandumajra and Manpreet Singh Ayali on Monday held a meeting at Amritsar to discuss ways to strengthen the party which has suffered two consecutive assembly election defeats.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of a demand by certain leaders for the implementation of the recommendations of the Iqbal Singh Jhudan-panel which was formed to analyse the reasons for the party's humiliating defeat in the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.
The SAD was decimated in the polls as it could win just three seats in the 117-member Vidhan Sabha.
Besides Chandumajra and Ayali, those who attended the meeting included Jagmeet Singh Brar, Charanjit Singh Atwal, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Amarpal Singh Bony, Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon and Karnail Singh Panjoli.
Ayali said in the coming days, a delegation of party leaders will meet SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and discuss with him the issue of strengthening the party in line with the workers' sentiments which have been recorded in the committee report.
During the meeting, it was the opinion of all the leaders that the current situation of the Akali Dal should be discussed with Badal and also how to bring the party out of the current "crisis" in the coming time.
"It is our responsibility to strengthen the party," asserted Ayali.
Notably, Ayali had last month left his party red-faced after he boycotted the presidential poll held on July 18, saying issues related to Punjab remain unresolved and he was not consulted by his party leadership before deciding to back NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu.
While seeking the implementation of the report of the Jhundan panel, Ayali has last month had also spoken about change in the party leadership.
The panel, led by Jhundan, had visited 100 assembly constituencies to take feedback from party workers and other people.
The report is yet to be made public.
On July 28, SAD chief Badal dissolved the entire organisational structure of the party, in pursuance of the recommendations of the 13-member committee.
All bodies, including the core committee, the working committee, the office bearers and all other units as well as all wings of the party were dissolved.
Badal was given full powers to rejig the party structure in line with the Jhundan-panel recommendations.
Last month, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder said that there was no word in the Jhundan-led committee report on changing the SAD president.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday set up a five-member disciplinary committee and also appealed to party members to only use the party platform to express their views.
The committee will be headed by senior Akali leader Sikandar Singh Maluka.
The other members are Sharanjt Singh Dhillon, Virsa Singh Valtoha, Mantar Singh Brar and Dr Sukhwinder Sukhi, according to an SAD statement.
Badal appealed to all party members to use only the party platform for free and democratic expression of their views in keeping with the lofty traditions of the party.
"Every view for strengthening the party will be heard, respected and considered in all sincerity and seriousness within the parameters of the party platform, as has been the time-tested practice in the party," said the SAD statement.
Badal said views on internal matters of the party should not be aired elsewhere.
There is no room for any activity that provides material to enemies of the party, 'Panth' and Punjab, Badal said.