The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Working Committee on Friday accepted the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal as president of the party.  Badal, who had submitted his resignation in November, also attended the meeting. 

Badal said hat he had attended the meeting to stress upon the Working Committee to accept his resignation besides expressing his gratitude to the Committee for the wholehearted support extended to him during his tenure as President of the SAD. The Committee on its part recorded the exemplary service extended by the President to the party. Later while talking to newsmen Badal also thanked the lakhs of party workers who had extended their support to him while fighting for the cause of Punjab and Punjabis.“I am deeply touched by the love and trust they reposed in me”. He also asserted he would continue to serve the party and Punjab as a humble worker with renewed vigour and commitment.

Giving details of the meeting, senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the Working Committee also decided to launch the membership drive for reconstitution of the organizational structure of the party on January 20. He said that the membership drive would last for one month and that the election to the President of the party would be held on March 1.

Senior leader Gulzar Singh Ranike has been made the chief election officer to conduct the organizational elections. Cheema said that SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami had been given charge of Jammu and Kashmir and Hoshiarpur, Kirpal Singh Badungar of the entire Malwa region, Manpreet Singh Ayali of Rajasthan, Santa Singh Umaidpur of Himachal Pradesh, Iqbal Singh Jhunda of Malerkotla, Paramjit Singh Sarna of Delhi, Manjit Singh GK of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and Raghujit Singh Virk of Haryana.