The resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal as president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, two months after his excommunication by the Akal Takht, marks a pivotal moment for the country’s oldest regional party. The SAD stands at a critical juncture, which may also offer it a chance to reclaim its democratic ethos and reconnect with its grassroots. Elevated as president in 2008 by his father, Akali patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir is accused of presiding over the erosion of the party’s support in its Sikh bastion. While he was initially commended for leading the Akalis to a historic second term in 2012, his leadership was seen to falter in the aftermath of the........

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