In a groundbreaking move, the Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) women’s wing, Istri Akali Dal, orchestrated its inaugural political meeting at the SGPC ground in Muktsar on January 12. The event, attended by thousands of women, underscored a strategic shift for the SAD, signaling a renewed focus on women voters in the lead-up to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The gathering, meticulously organized by women members and exclusively for women, aimed to enhance political awareness among women in the state while shedding light on the unfulfilled promises of the ruling AAP government. Notable participants included district heads, circle presidents, and women office-bearers from across the state, along with former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
This initiative gains significance amid the heightened emphasis on women in the election strategies of both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The AAP has pledged a monthly allotment to women, while the BJP is leveraging the Modi government’s women-centric schemes for electoral support.
SAD leaders highlighted that although the party has previously organized women’s conferences on religious occasions, this marked the first concerted effort in the political arena, strictly excluding men except for SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. Sikander Singh Maluka, former SAD minister and chairperson of the SAD’s disciplinary wing, emphasized the importance of nurturing politically aware women voters.
Sukhbir Singh Badal, addressing the rally, announced the party’s commitment to reserving 33% of tickets for women in all future Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, and 50% in panchayats and local bodies.
Hargobind Kaur, the president of Istri Akali Dal who organized the meeting, joined the SAD in July last year. She stressed the need to sensitize the over one crore women voters in the state about their voting rights. The women’s wing plans to leverage its social media network to engage with women voters at the grassroots level, urging them to question politicians on their promises.
Daljeet Singh Cheema, party spokesperson, acknowledged the historical role of women in the SAD, stating, “Women had embraced incarceration during the Dharam Yudh Morcha (1982) days and staged many protests after Operation Bluestar (1984).
Women had always been active in the party, but yes, we are getting more organized now.”
Maluka emphasized the consciousness of women in voting, stating, “Women are more conscious than men. They don’t sell their vote in exchange for liquor, as women of the family suffer the most from alcoholism or drug addiction in the family.”
Despite the SAD’s late establishment of the Istri Akali Dal in the early 1980s, the party aims to bolster its engagement with women voters, recognizing their potential to influence electoral outcomes. As Hargobind noted, increased representation of women in the Vidhan Sabha would elevate the importance of issues concerning women in the political landscape.
