CHANDIGARH, March 15 -- The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), one of the oldest political parties in India and once a formidable force in Punjab, is now facing its worst-ever crisis. Infighting, growing religious controversies, large-scale desertions, and a leadership crisis have brought the party to the brink, posing an uphill task for Sukhbir Singh Badal to put the house in order ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Reeling from back-to-back electoral defeats in 2017 and 2022, the SAD is in turmoil. Even the death of SAD patriarch and five-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has added to the woes, leading to the exodus of Badal loyalists. The loss of his towering leadership has deepened the fissures within the party, with growing question...