The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will boycott the Vice-Presidential election on September 9. The party accused both the Centre and the Punjab government of ignoring flood victims.
Punjab is facing one of its worst disasters. Almost one-third of the state is under water. Farmland has been destroyed, homes submerged, and thousands displaced. SAD called it a “man-made tragedy” caused by government negligence.
Harsimrat Kaur, Bathinda MP and the party’s only voice in Parliament, said neither government helped Punjab in any meaningful way. She added that leaders failed to stand with the people during the crisis.
In a post on X, SAD said people in Punjab are angry and upset. The party noted that the Centre continues with the Vice-Presidential poll while Punjabis suffer. To show solidarity, SAD announced its boycott.
Other parties have also stepped back. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is skipping the election, citing poor support for Telangana farmers. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has chosen to remain neutral, keeping distance from both NDA and INDIA bloc.
The contest is between Justice (Retd) B Sudershan Reddy, supported by INDIA bloc, and NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan. The Vice-President’s post fell vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned citing health reasons.
