Punjab politics: Splits and mergers in the Akali Dal

Abstract

No political party-national or regional is free from the politics of split and merger. It is however in the Akali Dal which is a religion based regional party much more frequent and far more intense than in other parties. In fact, the Akali Dal has been faction-ridden since its creation. The party has often been splitting and different factions have formed separate parties. However, subsequently these factions based parties have been often united into a single party. Thus, the politics of split and merger has been an important feature of the Akali Dal in Punjab. This study helps to understand the Punjab politics in general and politics of Akali Dal in particular.