SAD core committee to assess Punjab poll debacle

The core committee members, expressing their confidence in Sukhbir Singh Badal's leadership, empowered him to constitute a high level committee to review the debacle in the assembly elections.

Chandigarh:Despite a crushing defeat in the state assembly polls, the core committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab has expressed faith in the leadership of its president Sukhbir Singh Badal even as a high-powered committee was recommended to review the reasons for the defeat.

The meeting was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Sukhbir and was attended by all the core committee members of the party. It was convened to review the reasons for the party's defeat in the Punjab Assembly elections in which the SAD managed to win a mere three seats. The core committee members, expressing their confidence in Sukhbir Singh Badal's leadership, empowered him to constitute a high level committee to review the debacle in the assembly elections.

A meeting of the District Jathedars will be held on March 16. Spokesperson of Akali Dal and former minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, while talking to reporters after the meeting, said two resolutions were passed including the formation of a high-level committee and empowering Sukhbir Singh Badal. He said that the names of the members of the committee would be made public after a day.

In another resolution, the Akali Dal slammed the central government on the controversy over the member of the Bhakra Beas Management Board and said that "such a decision of the Centre is against the federal structure of the country".