AKALI DAL SIGNALS REVIVAL THROUGH TARN TARAN BYPOLL

AAP won Tarn Taran bypoll, but the Akalis held on to their support base.

- TARUNI GANDHI

Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal meeting the protesting students at Panjab University, in Chandigarh on Saturday. ANI

(ANI)

The Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll has turned into a political signal much larger than the outcome of a single seat, setting off conversations across Punjab about the Shiromani Akali Dal’s return to relevance in the Panthic space.

The contest has suggested that the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led party, long considered weakened by internal splits and declining electoral strength, has managed to hold its core support base in Majha and remains a strong force as the state begins looking toward the 2027 Assembly elections.

Even though the ruling Aam Aadmi Party retained the seat on counting day, the real political battle in Tarn Taran unfolded between the Badal-led SAD and the anti-Badal splinter groups attempting to challenge its Panthic influence.

In this shadow contest, SAD’s performance stood out. The determined fight put up by its candidate, Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, signalled that the breakaway Akali outfits have struggled to dent the party’s traditional support network.