CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia's release on Wednesday has come as a short in the arm for party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal as he faces a challenge to his leadership after SAD's humiliating defeat in the recent assembly polls.
Majithia walked out of the jail on bail with the Punjab and Haryana High Court saying there were "reasonable grounds" to believe that he is not guilty.
It, however, said the observation is only for the purpose of adjudicating his bail application and the trial court should proceed independently of the observations made by it.
Majithia was released after spending more than five months in the Patiala jail in a drug case.
His release from jail came at a time when 'rebellion' was brewing in the party against the leadership of Sukhbir Badal.
Asked whether the SAD will be strengthened with the release of Majithia, former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, "definitely."
She said Sukhbir Badal, Bikram and the entire party will strongly fight for the rights of the state.
She added that rivals have only one target and that is to weaken the regional party -- Shiromani Akali Dal.
"Today, they know their fight is only with the SAD. Be it the BJP, Congress, AAP and even the central agencies, all these have one target (against the SAD) and they want to create a rift amongst us (in the party)," Harsimrat told reporters in Amritsar.
Majithia is the brother-in-law of Sukhbir Singh Badal and brother of former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
In SAD, Majithia is considered a firebrand leader who takes rival party heads on any issue and commands great support and respect among party leaders and workers.
Majithia is a three-time MLA from Majitha constituency in Amritsar.
However, he lost from the Amritsar East constituency in the 2022 assembly polls.
The SAD leadership was left red-faced after party MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali went against his own party by boycotting the presidential poll held last month, saying issues related to Punjab remain unresolved and he was not consulted by the leadership before deciding to back NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu.
Ayali had sought 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.
He had even spoken about change in the party leadership while asserting that his only agenda was to strengthen the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Amid rumblings for a change in the SAD, several Akali leaders, including Prem Singh Chandumajra and Ayali had held a meeting in Amritsar on August 8 to discuss ways to strengthen the party which suffered two consecutive assembly election defeats.
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.
They had decided to meet SAD chief 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.
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 had dissolved the entire organizational structure of the party, in pursuance of the recommendations of the 13-member committee.