India, June 14 -- In the run-up to the June 19 Ludhiana West assembly byelection, veteran Akali leader and former cabinet minister Sikandar Singh Maluka was re-inducted into the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Chandigarh on Saturday.

Welcoming him back into the party fold a year after his unceremonious removal as head of the SAD disciplinary committee, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal described his return as "a major boost for the party".

"It gives me immense pleasure to welcome veteran Akali leader Sikandar Singh Maluka back to the Shiromani Akali Dal," Sukhbir said, acknowledging his contributions to strengthening the party under the leadership of former chief minister and party patriarch late Parkash Singh Badal.

"I am happy to be bac...