India, May 21 -- AMRITSAR

Senior Akali leader and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali on Wednesday resigned from the Shiromani Akali Dal breakaway faction SAD (Punar Surjit) and hinted at joining the Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, a fledgling political outfit headed by jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh.

His resignation is the second setback to former Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh-led party after senior leader and former Akali minister Surjit Singh Rakhra joined the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) last Sunday.

Ayali also quit the convenorship of an 8-member joint coordination panel formed to forge a Panthic alliance with Akali Dal (WPD) for the assembly elections due early next year. Last week, Amritpal's party left the panel...