CHANDIGARH: The working committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday authorised party president Sukhbir Singh Badal to take steps to strengthen the outfit and maintain inner-party discipline.
The development comes in the backdrop of rumblings for a change in the leadership of the Shiromani Akali Dal.
On Thursday, a SAD statement had said a conspiracy is afoot to destabilise regional parties, asking party leaders to desist from questioning Badal's authority or face disciplinary action.
Badal on Friday addressed two marathon meetings of constituency incharges and the working committee separately during which SAD leaders asserted that anyone breaching party discipline should be dealt with sternly, a statement said.
The senior leadership also expressed complete faith in Sukhbir Badal's leadership and asserted that "he was the best person to lead the party at this juncture", the party claimed in the statement.
SAD leaders also gave concrete suggestions to strengthen the party, it said.
Badal assured the party leaders that all suggestions will be taken into account and the party will never compromise on its principles.
"All views which are aimed at strengthening the party will be implemented," Badal said, adding that the SAD will always work for strengthening Punjab and "Punjabiyat".
"We will always guard the interests of Punjabis come what may," he added.
Briefing party men, senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder said the Iqbal Singh Jhundan committee report had not called for the leadership change.
"The committee has given 42 suggestions and they are being taken up for consideration," he said.
Bhunder also explained that "conspiracies are afoot" to weaken the Akali Dal because it had always stood up to guard regional aspirations.
Last month, the SAD leadership was left red-faced after Dakha MLA Ayali went against his own party by boycotting the presidential poll, saying issues related to Punjab remain unresolved and he was not consulted by his party leadership before deciding to back NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu.
Ayali had sought the implementation of the recommendations of the Jhundan panel and had even spoken about change in the party leadership.
The Jhudan panel was formed to analyse the reasons for the party's humiliating defeat in the Punjab assembly polls.
On July 28, Badal had dissolved the entire organisational structure of the party in pursuance of the recommendations of the 13-member committee.