The announcement of Sikh fundamentalist leader and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh as the Chief Ministerial candidate by the Akali Dal Waris Punjab De group ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections has intensified panthic politics among the breakaway factions of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).After SAD Punar Surjit expelled Iqbal Singh Jhundan from the party, hours after he and Santa Singh Umaidpuri backed Amritpal Singh as the CM candidate, SAD Punar Surjit chief Giani Harpreet Singh launched a scathing attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA from Dakha and Akali Dal Waris Punjab De leader Manpreet Singh Ayali.He accused Ayali of creating hurdles in panthic unity and working as a proxy for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).Ayali hit back at the former Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, accusing him of backtracking from his own directives and appointing leaders to key positions despite them being found guilty of religious misconduct.“As per the December 2, 2024 Akal Takht ‘hukamnama’, my responsibility was to conduct membership drives. I had told Giani Harpreet Singh — who was among the Jathedars who issued the December 2, 2024 Akal Takht ‘hukamnama’ — that leaders found guilty of religious misconduct should be kept away and not given key party positions. However, the opposite happened. The appointment of such leaders to key posts led to dissatisfaction among workers,” Ayali said.“I made sincere efforts towards panthic unity and headed the coordination committee of SAD Punar Surjit and Akali Dal Waris Punjab De. However, the same set of leaders began creating hurdles in the inclusion of Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh,” Ayali said during a press conference at the Chandigarh Press Club, where Punjabi film actor, director, and writer Rabbi Kandola joined the Amritpal Singh-led Akali Dal Waris Punjab De on Thursday.In a letter addressed to Bibi Satwant Kaur, head of the Panthic Council of SAD Punar Surjit, Giani Harpreet Singh alleged that Ayali wanted to become the president of the Punar Surjit Akali Dal himself. He further claimed that Ayali, along with Jhundan and Umaidpuri, attempted to take control of the party and conspired to remove him from the party presidency.Giani Harpreet Singh also alleged that Ayali took away the party’s membership and recruitment data when he left.Meanwhile, SAD (Punar Surjit) secretary-general Gurpartap Singh Wadala accused Iqbal Singh Jhundan of abandoning the patronage of Akal Takht and accepting the patronage of an individual, calling it a grave violation of Sikh principles.Earlier, Surjit Singh Rakhra, who was expelled from SAD (Punar Surjit), joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). In April, Barjinder Singh Brar, son of former minister Tota Singh, quit SAD (Punar Surjit) and rejoined the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal. Before him, another party leader, Charanjit Singh Brar, left the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).