The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD; ) is a centre-right and Sikh-centric state-level political party in Punjab, India. It is the second-oldest party in India, after Congress, being founded in 1920. Although there are many parties with the description Akali Dal, the party that is recognised 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, it left the National Democratic Alliance 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 India, which he thought would create an environment of possible persecution.
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.
List of breakaway parties or other Akali factions Year(s) Party Abbr. Leader Status1962-1968 Akali Dal – Sant Fateh Singh Group AD – SFS Sant Fateh Singh Defunct(merged back into Shiromani Akali Dal) Akali Dal – Master Tara Singh Group AD – MTS Master Tara Singh 1980-1995 Akali Dal – Jagdev Singh Talwandi Group AD (T) Jagdev Singh Talwandi Defunct (merged back into Shiromani Akali Dal) 1985-1994 United Akali Dal UAD Baba Joginder Singh, Simranjit Singh Mann Defunct (merged into Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)) 1986-1995 Akali Dal – Parkash Singh Badal Group AD (B) Parkash Singh Badal Defunct (consolidated power over main Shiromani Akali Dal) 1991-1997 Shiromani Akali Dal (Panthic) SAD (P) Captain Amarinder Singh Defunct (merged into Indian National Congress) 1992-1994 Akali Dal – Babbar Group AD (Babbar) Jasmer Singh Bala Defunct (merged into Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)) Akali Dal – Manjit Singh Group AD (M) Manjit Singh (AISSF) Akali Dal – Kabul Singh Group AD (K) Kabul Singh 1992-1995 Akali Dal – Sukhjinder Khaira Group AD (S) Sukhjinder Singh Khaira Defunct (merged back into Shiromani Akali Dal) 1994 Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) SAD (A) Simranjit Singh Mann active 1996-2004 Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) SAD (D) Kuldip Singh Wadala Defunct (merged back into Shiromani Akali Dal) 1999-2003 Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal SHSAD Gurcharan Singh Tohra Defunct (merged back into Shiromani Akali Dal) 1999 Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi SADD Paramjit Singh Sarnaactive 2004-2007 Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal) SAD (L) Surjit Kaur Barnala Defunct (merged back into Shiromani Akali Dal) 2011-2016 People's Party of Punjab PPoP Manpreet Singh Badal Defunct (merged into Indian National Congress) 2014 Akali Dal (1920) AD (1920) Ravi Inder Singh active 2014 Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal) SAD (L) Surjit Kaur Barnala Defunct (merged into Indian National Congress) 2014-2020 United Akali Dal UAD Bhai Mokham Singh Defunct (merged into Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic)) 2018-2021 Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) SAD (T) Ranjit Singh Brahmpura Defunct (merged into Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt)) 2020-2021 Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) SAD (D) Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa Defunct (merged into Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt)) 2021-2024 Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) SAD (S) Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa Defunct (merged back into Shiromani Akali Dal) 2025 Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) SAD (PS) Giani Harpreet Singhactive 2025 Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) AD (WPD) Amritpal Singh active
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 the party website.
S. No.NamePortraitTerm StartTerm EndDuration 1 Sarmukh Singh Jhabal -- 17 February 1919 27 March 1920 2 Kharak Singh -- -- -- 3 Master Tara Singh -- -- -- 4 Gopal Singh Qaumi -- -- -- 5 Tara Singh Thethar -- -- -- —- 6 Teja Singh Akarpuri -- 1945 -- 7 Babu Labh Singh -- 1945 9 March 1947 8 Udham Singh Nagoke -- -- -- 9 Giani Kartar Singh -- -- -- —- 10 Pritam Singh Gojran (Gujjran Sangrur) -- -- -- —- 11 Hukam Singh -- -- -- —-1968: Reunification of Akali Dal – Master Tara Singh Group and Akali Dal – Sant Fateh Singh Group 12 Fateh Singh -- -- -- —- 13 Achar Singh -- -- -- —- 14 Bhupinder Singh -- -- -- —- 15 Mohan Singh Tur -- 1978 -- 16 Jagdev Singh Talwandi 1978 1980 17 Harchand Singh Longowal 1980 20 August 1985 18 Surjit Singh Barnala 27 September 1985 1996 1995: Reunification of Akali Dal – Parkash Singh Badal Group, Akali Dal – Jagdev Singh Talwandi Group, Akali Dal - Tohra Group, Akali Dal – Sukhjinder Khaira Group, and Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal) 19 Parkash Singh Badal 1996 2008 20 Sukhbir Singh Badal 2008 29 August 2024 2024: Factional split 21 Balwinder Singh Bhunder 29 August 2024 12 April 2025 22 Sukhbir Singh Badal 12 April 2025 Present
Current Members in Houses HouseCurrent Members Leader Union Parliament Lok Sabha1Harsimrat Kaur BadalState Legislature Punjab Legislative Assembly1 / 117Ganieve Kaur Majithia
List of Union Leaders No. Portrait Name Term in office Duration Portfolio Prime Minister1 Parkash Singh Badal26 March 197727 March 1977 Minister of CommunicationsMorarji Desairowspan=3 28 March 197717 June 1977 Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation2 Surjit Singh Barnala18 June 197728 July 1979 19 March 199813 October 1999Minister of Chemicals and FertilizersAtal Bihari Vajpayeerowspan=9 Minister of Food and Consumer Affairs 3 Sukhbir Singh Badal20 March 199813 October 1999 Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry 4 Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa22 November 199926 November 1999 Minister of Works and Estates(Merged with Ministry of Urban Development)7 November 200022 May 2004 Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers27 May 20007 November 2000 Minister of Mines2 February 20007 November 2000 Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports5 Harsimrat Kaur Badal27 May 201430 May 2019 Minister of Food Processing IndustriesNarendra Modi31 May 201918 September 2020
List of Chief Ministers
Sr. No.PortraitChief MinisterConstituencyIn OfficeDurationFromTo1 Gurnam Singh(1899–1973) Qila Raipur 17 February 1969 27 March 1970 2 Surjit Singh Barnala(1925–2017) Barnala 29 September 1985 11 June 1987 3 Parkash Singh Badal(1927–2023) Gidderbaha 27 March 1970 14 June 1971 20 June 1977 17 February 1980 Lambi 12 February 1997 26 February 2002 1 March 2007 14 March 2012 14 March 2012 16 March 2017
List of Deputy Chief Ministers Sr. No.NamePortrait Term of officeChief MinisterAppointed by 1Sukhbir Singh Badal21 January 20091 July 2009 Prakash Singh BadalS. F. Rodrigues2Sukhbir Singh Badal10 August 200914 March 2012 14 March 201216 March 2017Shivraj Patil
General Elections General Elections Results Year General Election Seats Won Change in # of Seats Percentage of Vote Vote Swing19456th Central Legislative Assembly2——19511st Lok Sabha4 20.99%—19572nd Lok Sabha0 4——19623rd Lok Sabha3 30.72%—19674th Lok Sabha3——19715th Lok Sabha1 20.87%—19776th Lok Sabha9 81.26%—19807th Lok Sabha1 80.71%—19848th Lok Sabha7 617.9%—19899th Lok Sabha0 7——199110th Lok Sabha0——199611th Lok Sabha8 80.76%—199812th Lok Sabha80.81%—199913th Lok Sabha2 625.58%—200414th Lok Sabha8 634.28%—200915th Lok Sabha4 40.96%—201416th Lok Sabha420.30% 13.55%201917th Lok Sabha2 227.45% 13.9%202418th Lok Sabha1 113.42% 14.03%
In state elections Punjab Provincial Assembly Elections Legislative Assembly elections Election Year Leader seats contested seats won +/- in seats Overall votes % of overall votes +/- in vote share Sitting side1937Master Tara Singh81 1,788,856 5.581946Master Tara Singh81 93,550,21210.94 5.36
Punjab Legislative Assembly Elections Legislative Assembly elections Election Year Leader seats contested seats won +/- in seats Overall votes % of overall votes +/- in vote share Sitting side1952Gopal Singh Khalsa48 13620,455 12.44 12.441957Contested with Congress and 28 Akali leaders won.Electoral politics in Punjab. (Pdf) P. 38. Retrieved 23 December 2021.1962Gurnam Singh46 16799,92511.87 11.871967Sant Fateh Singh (SFSG)59 24871,74220.48 20.48rowspan=2 Master Tara Singh (MTSG)61 2178,7464.20 4.201969Gurnam Singh65 431,381,91629.36 29.361972Jaswinder Singh Brar72 191,344,43727.64 1.721977Parkash Singh Badal70 341,776,60231.41 3.81980Harchand Singh Longowal73 211,683,26626.92 4.491985Surjit Singh Barnala100 232,630,27038.01 11.091992Boycotted the elections1997Parkash Singh Badal92 753,873,09937.64 37.642002 343,196,92431.08 6.56200793 74,689,01837.09 6.01201294 84,828,61234.73 2.362017 413,898,16125.2 9.42022Sukhbir Singh Badal97 122,861,28618.38 6.86
Haryana Legislative Assembly Elections Legislative Assembly elections Election Year Leader seats contested seats won +/- in seats Overall votes % of overall votes +/- in vote share Sitting side2009Charanjeet Kaur Mallour2 9,490,092 0.982014Balkaur Singh512,426,9680.6 0.382019Rajinder Singh Desujodha3 112,520,1770.38 0.22
Delhi Legislative Assembly Elections Legislative Assembly elections Election Year Leader seats contested seats won +/- in seats Overall votes % of overall votes +/- in vote share Sitting side2013Manjinder Singh Sirsa4 7,699,800 12015Manjinder Singh Sirsa1 18,978,2690.5 0.5
Core Committee Sr. No.NamePortrait Term of office1Sarabjeet Singh Jhinjer 8 June 202316 July 2024
See also Splinter groups of the Akali Dal Sikhism Tara Singh Babu Labh Singh Akali (disambiguation) Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) List of political parties in India
References
Notes
Bibliography
Harjinder Singh Dilgeer. Sikh Twareekh. Sikh University Press, Belgium, 2007. 5 volumes Harjinder Singh Dilgeer. Sikh History. Sikh University Press, Belgium, 2010–11. 10 volumes Harjinder Singh Dilgeer. Shiromani Akali Dal (1920-2000). Sikh University Press, Belgium, 2001. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer. NAVAN MAHAN KOSH (DILGEER KOSH, ਦਿਲਗੀਰ ਕੋਸ਼). Sikh University Press, England, 2021.
External links