Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De)

Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) is an Indian political party formed by the supporters of Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistani politician and a Member of the Lok Sabha. It was launched on 14 January 2025 during Mela Maghi at Sri Muktsar Sahib by Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa under the leadership of Amritpal Singh. It is led by a 5-member committee consisting of Bapu Tarsem Singh, Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, Amarjit Singh, Harbhajan Singh Tur, and Surjit Singh.
Amritpal Singh and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, the party founders, both contested the 2024 Indian general election from the Khadoor Sahib and Faridkot Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab, respectively. Both did not contest under any political party and were registered as Independent candidates, although Amritpal Singh received support from the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), a pro-Khalistani political party. The two candidates contested the election on the basis of approaching major issues of concern, such as tackling the drug crisis in Punjab, the release of Sikh political prisoners, and demanding justice for the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib.
This message successfully resonated with the constituents of the respective legislative districts, as both candidates won the election with large margins, defeating popular contestants and opponents, such as Punjabi actor Karamjit Anmol in Faridkot. Amritpal Singh won in Khadoor Sahib with a margin of 197,120, which was the largest of all 13 constituencies in Punjab. These victories marked a pivotal moment in the political landscape of Punjab, as it was the first time since 1989 Indian general election that any candidates of Khalistani background, apart from Simranjit Singh Mann, were elected to the Lok Sabha, representing dissatisfaction with major political parties.
After the general election, speculations spanning multiple months were appearing, which discussed the possibility of the formation of a political party by Amritpal Singh and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, due to their similar circumstances of victory, and the issues of top priority for their supporters. On 29 September 2024, Tarsem Singh, father of MP Amritpal Singh, confirmed the rumours by announcing the establishment of a political party in the near future, at Akal Takht.
On 4 January 2025, Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa and Tarsem Singh announced the preparations for the launch of a new political party, scheduled to be officially launched on 14 January 2025 during Mela Maghi at Sri Muktsar Sahib, at a conference labelled 'Panth Bachao-Punjab Bachao'. The political party was originally planned to be formed under the name "Shiromani Akali Dal (Anandpur Sahib)", but it was announced at the conference that the party will be named 'Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De)', tying it to the social and political organisation Waris Punjab De, run by Amritpal Singh, and founded by Deep Sidhu.
The Shri Muktsar Sahib Declaration is a manifesto containing a list of 15 resolutions that set the foundation of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), and laid out a general framework for the party to be structured in accordance to, in the months following its creation. This declaration describes the agenda that the party will work towards communicating to the people of Punjab, and their political objectives, along with the core values that will steer the direction of their campaigns. The declaration was announced and made public on 14 January 2025, at the party’s first political conference, held at Mela Maghi, Sri Muktsar Sahib.