With condolence visit to Iran Embassy, Akali Dal’s ‘Panthic’ politics in play ahead of 2027 Assembly polls

A recent visit of Shiromani Akali Dal’s delegation to the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi to sign the condolence register after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is being seen as an attempt by the century-old party to consolidate its pro-Panth (Sikh) image to establish it as a serious contender in the 2027 Punjab Assembly election.

SAD, which often claims to be the sole representative of the Sikh community, over the past decade, has seen an electoral downfall in Punjab, where Sikh identity and issues have long been central to political discourse. In the party, which saw a rebellion last year, the rebels maintained that under the sway of the “Badal family”, the party moved away from issues surrounding the Sikh ‘Panth’, deviating from its core ideology of giving voice to Sikh issues.

Since his re-election as party president in December 2025, however, Sukhbir Singh Badal has been making visible efforts to reclaim the party’s Panthic credentials, with a renewed focus on Sikh community issues.

Earlier this week, the SAD delegation led by its Delhi unit president Paramjit Singh Sarna visited the Iranian Embassy and extended heartfelt sympathies to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the period of mourning. They noted that “at moments such as this, humanity is reminded of the shared values of faith, dignity, and respect that bind different traditions and nations.”

Separately, Mr. Sarna had urged the Indian government to bring back the Sikhs residing in Tehran and other Indians at its own expense, keeping in view their safety. A small population of Sikhs have been living in Iran.

‘Gaining lost ground’

In the political circles, there is a sense that expressing commitment to the Panth is, in many ways, a rhetorical necessity for the SAD. Kehar Singh, former head of the Department of Political Science at Punjabi University, said: “The SAD’s expression of condolence for Iran’s Supreme Leader and its concern for Sikhs and other minorities is justified. However, political messaging in these actions can’t be ignored. While the Sikh presence in Iran is limited to a handful of families, the political hint of this gesture cannot be overlooked.”

“If SAD doesn’t have this rhetoric, then the party risks alienating its core ‘Panthic’ support. The attempt, therefore, is to keep that section engaged and satisfied. Every such gesture is an opportunity to grow acceptability and gain lost ground in the run-up to the upcoming election,” he added.

Professor Paramvir Singh of the Department of Encyclopaedia of Sikhism at Punjabi University, Patiala, points out that the Sikh connection to Iran can be traced back to the days of Guru Nanak Dev. “Guru Nanak Dev, during his fourth spiritual journey, visited Mecca and returned via Iran to Kartarpur Sahib. Sikhs began settling in Zahedan, a town in Iran near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, as well as in Tehran in the 1900s. The population has been dwindling over the years and the Sikh population in Iran now numbers only a few hundred, the exact number is difficult to ascertain.”