Sukhbir Singh Badal tendered his resignation as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president after being declared 'Tankhaiya' or guilty of religious misconduct by the Akal Takht, one of five takhts (seats of power) of the Sikhs.
Sukhbir Singh Badal's decision to step down was announced by senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema on Saturday. His successor will be elected soon, Cheema added, adding that Badal submitted his resignation to the party's working committee.
"The SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal submitted his resignation to the working Committee of the party today to pave the way for the election of new President. He thanked all the party leaders & workers for expressing confidence in his leadership and extending wholehearted support & cooperation throughout the tenure," said Cheema in a post on X.
On August 30, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh declared Badal 'tankhaiya' for "mistakes" committed by the SAD and its government from 2007 to 2017.
Badal's resignation came days after he urged the Akal Takht Jathedar to pronounce his punishment for religious misconduct charges, saying more than two months have passed since he was declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct).
After Badal failed to get any temporary relief from the Akal Takht, the SAD announced on October 24 that it would not contest the bypolls.
On July 1, rebel SAD leaders, including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and ex-Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, appeared before the Akal Takht and sought forgiveness for the "mistakes" committed by the party's government between 2007 and 2017.