Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali's move to align with Waris Punjab De ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections next year is being seen as a marked shift in the state's politics. His decision not only marks a break from the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) faction but also deepens the crisis within the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), signalling a steady erosion of its traditional Panthic base.
Ayali, once among the most trusted lieutenants of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal during the party's peak, had already been distancing himself from the leadership. He had resigned from all posts in the breakaway SAD (Punar Surjit) on May 20.
Ayali's induction significantly boosts Waris Punjab De's ambitions of becoming a statewide force. The party had already established a strong symbolic presence in the Majha region after its chief Amritpal Singh's victory from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency while being in jail. With Ayali's entry, it now gains a credible foothold in the Malwa belt.
While Majha has historically been the nerve centre of Panthic politics, Malwa often determines electoral outcomes due to its larger number of Assembly seats.
For the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), Ayali's exit is both symbolic and structural. It highlights internal dissatisfaction and reinforces the perception of declining leadership credibility. His criticism of "family dominance" echoes a long-standing internal fault line that has contributed to repeated factional splits.
The impact is also visible in numbers. The party's legislative strength has steadily weakened, with leaders like Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi moving to the AAP earlier, and now Ayali stepping away, the SAD's presence in the Assembly is shrinking. Ganieve Kaur Majithia now remains its lone MLA, while Harsimrat Kaur Badal is its only MP, underlining the party's reduced political footprint.
Electoral Strategy
By raising issues such as unemployment, drug abuse, agrarian distress and migration, Waris Punjab De is tapping into widespread public dissatisfaction. Ayali has also positioned this movement as independent of mainstream parties, ruling out alliances with the BJP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party.
He also indicated that demands like Khalistan would be pursued through democratic means.
At the induction event, Tarsem Singh, father of jailed MP Amritpal Singh, termed Ayali's entry a "historic step," describing it as the coming together of ideologically aligned forces.
