Sarbjot Singh Sabi, a former Akali leader who joined the Congress last year, has now switched to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), marking another political shift in Punjab ahead of the next elections.
Background of the Switch
Sabi, a prominent figure from Mukerian, had joined the Congress in June 2025 in the presence of Punjab Affairs In-charge Bhupesh Baghel, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Chief Amrinder Raj Warring, and CLP Leader Partap Singh Bajwa. However, his tenure in the Congress lasted only about a year before he decided to move to AAP.
The 47-year-old leader had contested the 2022 Assembly elections from the Mukerian constituency on an Akali ticket but lost, securing nearly 30,000 votes. According to sources, Sabi was once a close associate of senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia.
Political Career
Sabi began his political journey with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) at a young age. He was appointed as the Circle President of the party at 22, later becoming the Hoshiarpur district President and Doaba Zonal President. He also served as the Chairman of the Hoshiarpur Zila Parishad.
His move to AAP comes amid a series of defections from the Akali Dal to the ruling party in Punjab. In recent months, several former Akali leaders have joined AAP, including Guriqbal Singh Mahal, SAD’s former unsuccessful candidate from the Qadian Assembly constituency, who made the switch last month.
Other Recent Defections
Former MLA Darshan Singh Shivalik quit the Badal-led party to join Akali Dal Waris Punjab De (WPD) and has now joined AAP. On Wednesday, former SAD MLA from Patran, Varinder Kaur Loomba, along with her husband Karan Singh DTO, also joined AAP.
These defections indicate a trend of Akali leaders moving to AAP, potentially strengthening the party's position in the state ahead of future elections.
