Fresh talks have begun between Waris Punjab De and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) to explore an alliance ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, but the proposed Panthic unity faces a potential hurdle, with the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) reportedly demanding that six senior Punar Surjit leaders be kept out of the electoral contest.
The condition was raised at a meeting held in Chandigarh last week. The initiative to consolidate Panthic political forces had suffered a setback in May when Waris Punjab De withdrew from a joint coordination committee formed with SAD (Punar Surjit), citing a lack of consensus on what it described as fundamental ideological differences. Led by Giani Harpreet Singh, the faction has sought to position itself as an alternative rooted in traditional Panthic values and principled politics. Waris Punjab De, meanwhile, traces its origins to the organisation founded by the late Deep Sidhu and subsequently led by Amritpal Singh. In Amritpal’s absence, a five-member executive committee was constituted to oversee the party’s functioning.
Founded on August 11, 2025, following a split from the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal, SAD (Punar Surjit) emerged from the SAD Sudhar Lehar reform movement.
Waris Punjab De leaders said the party wanted an alliance based on public perception and the credibility of the leadership, adding that the number of senior Punar Surjit leaders it objected to had increased from two to six. Dakha MLA and senior Waris Punjab De leader Manpreet Singh Ayali said the party had consistently favoured an alliance with Punar Surjit but wanted the proposed arrangement to reflect public sentiment. Let us hope for the best in the interest of Punjab,” he said. In January 2025, Amritpal’s father, Tarsem Singh, and Faridkot MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa announced the formation of a political party under the Waris Punjab De banner at the Maghi Mela conference in Muktsar, with the slogan “Panth Bachao, Punjab Bachao” (Save the Panth, Save Punjab).
“Talks could not progress earlier for certain reasons.
