National: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided not to contest the by-elections which are to be held on four seats in Punjab on November 13 (Wednesday). This decision was taken in the party working committee meeting and district heads meeting which was held in Chandigarh. 

This was finally decided at an emergency meeting of the SAD's working committee and district presidents.

On August 30, Akal Takht Sahib declared Akali Dal head Sukhbir Badal as Tankhaiya, due to which Sukhbir Singh Badal can neither contest the by-election nor can he campaign for the same. He will be sentenced by Sri Akal Takht Sahib after Diwali. This is the first time after 1992 that Akali Dal has decided not to contest any election to be held in the state.

The development comes a day after SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal failed to get any temporary relief from the Akal Takht, which has declared him 'tankhaiya' (person guilty of religious misconduct), for the "mistakes" committed by his party and government from 2007 to 2017.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said the SAD can contest the bypolls and there is no restriction on it. The four assembly seats going to polls in Punjab are Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal and Barnala. The bypolls were necessitated after the MLAs representing the seats were elected to the Lok Sabha.

"We have decided that we will keep ourselves out of the bypolls to the four assembly seats considering the larger Panthic interests and maintaining the dignity and respect of the Panthic institutions," senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema told media.

A resolution to this effect was passed unanimously at the meeting of the party's working committee, he said. Cheema said SAD workers wanted Badal to contest from Gidderbaha as it was represented by party patriarch and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for a long time.

The party workers also wanted to contest the bypolls but after the jathedar's order, it was clear that Badal could not fight the elections or take part in the poll campaign, he said.

"We can never go against the order of the Akal Takht," he added.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, however, said while Badal cannot be given permission for contesting polls, there is no restriction on his party.

"Only the SAD president cannot be given permission for contesting the polls as this matter is with the Akal Takht. But the rest of the party can take part in these elections. There is no restriction of any kind on the party for contesting the elections," Singh said in a video message.

A SAD delegation had met Singh on Tuesday and urged him to allow Badal to lead the party's poll campaign. Singh had said on Wednesday that a 'tankhaiya' remains a 'tankhaiya' until 'tankhah' (religious punishment) is awarded.

The Sikh clergy is yet to award 'tankhah' to Badal. After he was declared 'tankhaiya' by the Akal Takht on August 30, Badal had appeared before the highest temporal seat of Sikhs and sought forgiveness for the "mistakes" committed by his party and its government.

Bypolls on 4 seats

Gidderbaha seat fell vacant after Congress' Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was elected to the Lok Sabha from Ludhiana.

Barnala seat fell vacant after AAP's Gurmeet Singh Hayer won from Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency. He had won Barnala seat in the 2017 and 2022 assembly polls.

Dera Baba Nanak was vacated by Congress' Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa after he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Gurdaspur.

The Chabbewal bypoll was necessitated after Raj Kumar Chabbewal, who was a Congress MLA but later joined the AAP, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Hoshiarpur.

The polling in these four assembly segments will be held on November 13 and the counting of votes will take place on November 23. The last date for filing nominations is October 25 and the scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on October 28. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 30.