Shiromani Akali Dal

Akali Dal, also termed as Shiromani Akali Dal (Akali Religious Party), is a Sikh political party mainly based in Punjab, India.

It was formed in the 1920s after the formation of SGPC (Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee), a religious body formed as a result of movement to secure Sikh temples (Gurudwara) from corrupt priests. So in a sense Akali Dal considers itself as a religio-political party and principal representative of Sikhs. Baba Kharak Singh was the first president of the Akali Dal but it was under Master Tara Singh that Akali Dal became a force to reckon with.

They launched Punjabi Suba agitation to get a Sikh majority state made from undivided Punjab based on language under the leadership of Sant Fateh Singh . In 1966, Punjab was formed but its division led to bitter conflict as neither parties were satisfied. Akali Dal came to power in Punjab but many a times their governments were dismissed by the Congress Party ruling at the federal level.

Akali Dal's history is also full of divisions and factionalism. Each faction claims to be the real Akali Dal. As of 2003, the SAD headed by Prakash Singh Badal was the largest faction and the one recognized as having the name SAD by the Election Commission of India. Other factions have included Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal led by Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Shiromani Akali Dal (Simranjit Singh Mann) (also called SAD (Amritsar)), and Shiromani Akali Dal (Panthik) led by Amarinder Singh (which later merged with Congress), Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi, Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic), Haryana State Akali Dal and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal).

In the fall of 2003 the Badal and Tohra factions reunified.

The basic philosophy of Akali Dal is to give political voice to Sikh issues (Panthic cause) and it believes that religion and politics go hand in hand.