CHANDIGARH, Punjab—The Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) announced the names of its office bearers on December 23. As expected earlier, the rebel Akali leaders announced the name of Parliamentarian Ranjit Singh Brahmpura as the president while the former parliamentarian Rattan Singh Ajnala as senior vice-president of SAD (Taksali). The former Punjab cabinet minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan has been appointed as a secretary general and spokesperson of this new Akali Dal.
Notably, the SAD (Taksali) was constituted by the rebel Akali leaders on December 16 after getting expelled from the SAD (Badal) for raising a banner of revolt against Sukhbir Badal. These leaders had claimed that they were upset over the day by day rising distraction of Shiromani Akali Dal from the Sikh causes.
List of the other office bearers of the SAD (Taksali) is as follow:
|
S.No. |
Name |
Designation |
|
1 |
Ranjit Singh Brahmpura |
President |
|
2 |
Rattan Singh Ajnala |
Senior Vice President |
|
3 |
Sewa Singh Sekhwan |
Secretary General |
|
4 |
Ujagar Badali |
Vice-President |
|
5 |
Mohinder Singh Hussainpur |
Junior Vice President |
|
6 |
Charan Singh |
Secretary |
|
7 |
Manmohan Singh Sathiala |
General Secretary |
|
8 |
Makhan Singh Nangal |
General Secretary |
Interacting with media on this occasion, Brahmpura and Sekhwan said that talks were on with former minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Khaira and Bains brothers, but no response was received from their side. “We have no issue in approaching anyone who defies Badals and intends to get the state and the SGPC free from their clutches. The anti-Badal leaders are still in touch with us, but officially they didn’t extend hand for any alliance as of now,” they added.
Sekhwan categorically insisted on initiating talks with AAP dissident leader HS Phoolka. “We will certainly contact persons like Phoolka, who quit all positions for the sake of getting justice for the 84 anti-Sikh Genocide victims,” he said.
Nonetheless, the process is on to get the new outfit registered with the Election Commission of India. There were bleak chances of contesting the ensuing the upcoming parliamentary elections, but Brahmpura said the first poll they contest would be of the SGPC. They also passed a resolution in today’s meeting urging the Union Home Ministry to appoint Chief Commissioner for Gurdwara elections for the early elections of the SGPC
“The tenure of the existing body of the SGPC has already lapsed. After the parliamentary elections, we will impress upon conducting the elections of the apex body. Definitely we will contest it,” he said.
