One ticket norm in Assembly polls: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, on Friday, announced a set of changes aimed at strengthening the party and giving ‘more space to youth, women as well as other sections of society’.

Addressing a press conference here, Badal said the party would stick to its core principles including the need for a true federal structure, taking all sections of society and people from all religious faiths along in keeping with the ideals of the Guru Sahiban and continuing to uphold the need for peace and communal harmony in the state.

He said that the SAD, which is the oldest regional party with a 102-year track record of service to poor, farmers and labourers as well as the ‘panth’ (Sikh religion) and the ‘quom’ (Sikh community), would continue to serve the regional aspirations of people of Punjab.

SAD to follow one family, one ticket norm in Assembly polls

Calling upon the Punjabis to understand which parties wanted to divide them for their petty political gains, Badal said that his party would concentrate on developing the next generation of leaders by reserving fifty per cent seats in the forthcoming Assembly election for party workers who are below the age of fifty years.

He said that the changes would be effected at the highest level of decision making in the party – the Core Committee – also. The SAD chief said that the Core Committee would be reconstituted to include members of the new generation including youth, women and representatives of all sections of society.

What is one ticket norm in Assembly polls

Badal also announced that the party would henceforth follow the principle of one family, one ticket. He announced that upon the formation of the government, chairmanships at both the district and state level would be given to party workers and the family members of MPs and MLAs would not be considered for these posts.

“The aim is to give maximum opportunity to workers and groom them as the next generation of leaders,” he said, announcing that henceforth district presidents of the party would not contest the elections.

Giving details of the decisions taken after due consultation with party workers, leaders, intellectuals and well wishers of the party, Badal said that elections to the new organisational structure would be completed by November 30 under the supervision of the central election body.

He said that 117 observers would be appointed to oversee the entire exercise across all constituencies of the state. The new changes also include formation of a Parliamentary Board which will examine ways and means to attract the best talent into the party as well as suggest the best candidates for the Assembly elections.

Badal announced that a disciplinary board headed by Sikander Singh Maluka has already been created and appealed to party workers to air their differences on the appropriate party forums and not go to the media.