The Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) has officially confirmed that jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh will contest the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, although the party is yet to announce the constituency from which he will enter the fray.
Amritpal Singh had been elected as an independent MP from the Khadoor Sahib constituency, despite contesting the election from Dibrugarh Jail in Assam, where he is currently detained under the National Security Act. He won the election with 355,235 votes—the largest margin of any candidate in Punjab, beating his closest rival by 197,120 votes.
Responding to media queries, Dakha MLA and senior party leader Manpreet Singh Iyali said the party leadership would take a final decision on the constituency at the appropriate time. He reiterated that the party had already declared Amritpal Singh as its chief ministerial face for the Assembly elections.
According to party sources, Amritpal Singh is likely to contest either from the Talwandi Sabo or Khadoor Sahib Assembly constituency.
In a significant political development, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) suffered a major split on Tuesday after senior leader Iqbal Singh Jhundan and 15 other leaders announced the formation of a separate faction and declared an alliance with Waris Punjab De.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Jhundan said the decision was taken in view of the prevailing political and Panthic situation in Punjab. He asserted that the state, particularly the Khalsa Panth, required strong, fearless and committed leadership to safeguard Panthic interests.
Jhundan expressed confidence that Amritpal Singh, chief of Waris Punjab De, could unite various Panthic forces on a common platform. He said the alliance aims to protect Punjab’s interests while bringing together fragmented Panthic groups under one banner.
Sources said differences over the party’s policies and future strategy had been simmering within SAD (Punar Surjit) for some time, with several senior leaders and workers reportedly unhappy with its functioning. The Jhundan-led faction alleged that the party had drifted away from its original objectives and was no longer effectively raising Panthic issues, prompting the split and its decision to join Waris Punjab De.
The development is being viewed as a significant setback for SAD (Punar Surjit), exposing internal divisions that could influence Punjab’s Panthic political landscape ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
