The Tarn Taran by-election has emerged as a test of strength between rival Shiromani Akali Dal factions, with independent candidate Mandeep Singh, backed by anti-Badal Akali groups, posing a challenge to Sukhwinder Kaur of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).
This contest, shaped by overlapping religious legacies, is seen not just as a local electoral battle, but as a referendum on who truly represents the Akali Dal.
While SAD (Badal) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal launched an aggressive campaign targeting the Congress during Operation Bluestar in 1984, anti-Badal fronts rallied behind Mandeep Singh, whose campaign carried emotional weight due to the imprisonment of his brother Sandeep Singh Sunny in a controversial jail case.
Mandeep Singh’s candidacy has its roots in the support that has gathered around Sunny, who is now incarcerated in Patiala Jail. Sunny became a symbolic figure among anti-SAD (Badal) groups after he assaulted former police officer Subba Singh, who was convicted in six fake encounter cases and later succumbed to his injuries. Sunny was already facing trial in the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri, and the jail incident elevated him as a resistance figure among these factions.
With Sunny imprisoned and unable to contest, factions including the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab Di), Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and Shiromani Akali Dal (Ponar Surjeet) came together to present Mandeep Singh as the political face of their collective stand in the by-election.
The symbolic dimensions deepened when a Hindu family from Tarn Taran, who fought a 32-year legal battle to prove the murder of their fictitious son, extended their support to Mandeep Singh. Gulshan Kumar’s brother Bobby said: “We feel sympathy for Mandeep Singh’s brother and their fight for justice.” Gulshan’s case was among the cases documented by human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Khalra’s widow, Paramjeet Kaur, also supported Mandeep Singh. “This campaign reflects the unresolved pain of thousands of families who lost their children due to fake encounters,” said human rights activist Sarabjit Singh Verka.
Tarn Taran falls within the Khadur Sahib parliamentary constituency, currently represented by Amritpal Singh, the jailed chief of Punjab De Waris. Amritpal has pitched his party as a rival to the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), which has seen a steady decline, winning just three seats in the 2022 Assembly elections and just one seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In contrast, two independents with a strong nationalist agenda won two Lok Sabha seats, signaling a shift in the Sikh religio-political space. Amritpal Bakhadur Sahib won in 2024 by a majority of nearly two million votes, and Tarn Taran continues to reflect the great cohesion behind his victory.
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SAD (Badal) is trying to regain its traditional base by highlighting its candidate’s family as part of the “Dharmi Fauji” legacy, a reference to the Sikh soldiers who left the army during Operation Blue Star. The party is relying on its organizational depth and solid vote bank to counter the emotional momentum behind Mandeep Singh.
Political observers say the outcome of the by-election could have a defining impact on Akali politics ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. “Despite the presence of AAP and Congress, the real battle is between SAD (Badal) and splinter Akali factions,” a senior political observer said. “The result will indicate who still controls the Pantheic Pulse.”
(Tags for translation)Tarn Taran by polls
