Newly-formed SAD (Taksali) plans expansion; candidates announced for party's top posts

The Shriomani Akali Dal (Taksali), led by MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, announced on Sunday expansion of the newly floated party's organisational setup. Party chief Brahmpura, who is the Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib constituency, said Rattan Singh Ajnala, a former MP from the same seat has been nominated as senior vice president of the outfit. Former Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan will be the Secretary General besides being the chief spokesperson of the party while Ujagar Singh Badali has been nominated as the outfit's vice president, Brahmpura said.

Brahmpura also announced the name of two General Secretaries, Manmohan Singh Sathiala and Makhan Singh, from Faridkot. Brahmpura along with some other SAD leaders had formed the party after their expulsion from the Akali Dal.

SAD had recently expelled senior leaders Brahmpura and Ajnala from the party's primary membership for six years for their alleged involvement in anti-party activities. Ranjit Singh Brahmpura's son Ravinder Pal Singh Brahmpura and Ajnala's son Amarpal Singh Boni too were ousted for six years from the primary membership of the SAD. The Khadoor Sahib MP had recently resigned from the post of SAD's senior vice president as well as its core committee membership due to age and health reasons.

Notably, the SAD had also recently expelled Sewa Singh Sekhwan, a former minister, from the primary membership of the party, shortly after he had announced his resignation as senior vice president and core committee member. Earlier, Sekhwan, Brahmpura and some other Taksali Akalis (old guard) had raised their voice against SAD's alleged deviation from its "panthic agenda".