Chandigarh: The attack on Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal at Nanded has once again brought the party’s complicated relationship with the Panthic electorate into focus. Coming just days after Badal’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the incident has also added another layer to the ongoing speculation over a possible political understanding between the SAD and BJP in Punjab.
While the attack has been condemned across the political spectrum, analysts believe its political significance could extend beyond the incident itself. The SAD has been attempting to rebuild its traditional support base, but unresolved questions surrounding the party’s past government, sacrilege cases and its relationship with Panthic institutions continue to pose a challenge.
Old grievances remain a political fault line
Sukhbir Badal’s standing among sections of the Sikh community has been shaped by a series of controversies dating back to the SAD-led government’s tenure.
The 2015 pardon granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim became one of the most contentious episodes. The decision by the Akal Takht to grant the pardon, followed by its withdrawal amid widespread anger, generated allegations of political interference and seriously damaged the Badal family’s standing among sections of the Sikh electorate.
The Bargari sacrilege episode later intensified that resentment. The desecration of a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari and the subsequent police firing at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura, in which two Sikh protesters were killed, became major political issues in Punjab.
At the time, Parkash Singh Badal was chief minister and Sukhbir Badal held the Home portfolio. Critics have repeatedly questioned the handling of the incidents and alleged that the government failed to adequately address the concerns of Sikh organisations.
SAD faces competition in the Panthic space
Political observers believe the attack could revive some of the issues that have previously weakened the SAD among Panthic voters.
Analyst Pramod Batish said the episode could potentially remind voters of the controversies associated with the Badal-led government and create further distance between sections of the Sikh electorate and the SAD.
At the same time, the party is no longer facing the same political landscape as it did in earlier elections. The emergence of the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) has created another claimant to the Panthic political space.
Professor Dr KK Rattu believes the direction of the Panthic vote could prove important in the next Punjab Assembly election. If the traditional Sikh vote consolidates behind the SAD, the party could benefit; however, a split among Panthic voters could change the political equation considerably.
Modi meeting adds another dimension
Badal’s recent meeting with Prime Minister Modi has also become part of the political discussion surrounding the attack.
The SAD and BJP have shared power in Punjab in the past, but the relationship broke down after the controversy over the three farm laws. The Akali Dal eventually withdrew from the NDA government and ended its alliance with the BJP in 2020 amid the farmers’ agitation.
With speculation about a possible rapprochement between the two parties resurfacing, sections of the Panthic electorate remain wary of any renewed partnership.
Political analyst Pawandeep Sharma pointed to the earlier SAD-BJP governments, when the alliance projected Hindu-Sikh unity alongside a development-focused agenda. However, controversies over sacrilege during that period and the farm-law episode continue to influence perceptions of the alliance.
For hardline Panthic sections, a renewed proximity between Badal and the BJP could therefore become another point of contention.
Akal Takht action remains significant
The relationship between Sukhbir Badal and the Sikh religious establishment also remains an important part of the political debate.
In 2024, the Akal Takht declared Badal Tankhaiya, holding him responsible for religious and political decisions taken during the SAD government’s tenure. Badal subsequently acknowledged the mistakes before the Sikh clergy and was directed to undertake religious punishment, including service at Sikh shrines.
The episode was significant because it brought the party’s past decisions back into public discussion at a time when the SAD was already struggling to regain political ground.
BJP-SAD equation could face another test
The immediate political fallout of the attack remains uncertain, but the incident comes at a sensitive time for the SAD.
The party is trying to rebuild itself ahead of the next Assembly election, while simultaneously navigating questions about its traditional Panthic identity and the possibility of renewed ties with the BJP.
For the SAD leadership, the challenge is likely to be twofold: retaining its traditional Sikh support base while deciding how far it can move towards a potential alliance with the BJP without alienating voters who remain opposed to that political direction.
The attack itself has no established political motive based on the information available, and any conclusions about its intent would be premature. But politically, the episode has once again brought the unresolved tensions surrounding Sukhbir Badal and the SAD to the centre of Punjab’s debate.
