Kapurthala: Former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur has returned to the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). She rejoined the party on Sunday at a gathering in Begowal, Kapurthala district, in the presence of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and other Akali leaders.
Badal also appointed Jagir Kaur as the party’s Halqa In-charge for the Bholath Assembly constituency. She returned along with her supporters, marking another significant development within the Akali Dal ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Her return comes after a period of differences with the Badal-led leadership and her association with the breakaway Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), led by Giani Harpreet Singh. She had previously returned to the SAD in March 2024 before parting ways again.
Bibi Jagir Kaur’s Political Journey
A former mathematics teacher, Jagir Kaur joined the Shiromani Akali Dal in 1995 and won the Bholath Assembly constituency in the 1997 Punjab elections. She subsequently served as a minister in the government led by former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
In 1999, she became the first woman to head the SGPC. She was elected to the post for a fourth time in November 2020 and has also served as the president of the Akali Dal’s women’s wing.
Her return is significant for the party’s presence in the Doaba region, particularly around Bholath and Kapurthala, where she has a political base.
Sukhbir Badal Targets AAP Government Over Punjab Issues
Welcoming Jagir Kaur back into the party, Sukhbir Singh Badal said her return would strengthen the Akali Dal, particularly in the Doaba region. He said the leaders had been separated by certain differences but had now come together to work towards strengthening the party.
Badal appealed to other Akali leaders who had left the party to return, describing the SAD as the political organisation representing the Panth. He also urged party workers to work together ahead of the next Assembly elections.
During his address, Badal accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failing to tackle drug trafficking in Punjab. He alleged that drugs had reached households across the state and claimed that some people arrested in drug-related cases were subsequently released through the intervention of AAP leaders.
He also criticised AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, alleging that they lacked an emotional connection with Punjab and had come to the state to take political advantage.
Sukhbir Badal Recalls Parkash Singh Badal’s Contribution
The SAD president also invoked the legacy of his father, former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, while speaking about his commitment to Punjab.
He said his father had devoted nearly seven decades to serving Punjab and the Sikh Panth. According to Sukhbir, Parkash Singh Badal travelled extensively across the state and remained connected with the concerns of farmers, poor families and traders.
He also said people from different religious communities had supported the Badal family over the years.
The latest development brings Jagir Kaur back into the SAD organisation, with the party assigning her responsibility for the Bholath constituency ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.
