On Wednesday, one of Punjab’s most recognisable enforcement officers made a political move that raised eyebrows. Niranjan Singh, former Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Jalandhar, joined the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), the party led by detained Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh.Niranjan has long been seen as a hard-nosed officer who kept his distance from politics. His decision is significant, but not isolated. Since Manpreet Singh Ayali, one of the three Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLAs, joined the WPD in June, the party has drawn people from different backgrounds.More interestingly, some of its newest recruits are stressing what the party is not about.Read | Amritpal outfit names more candidates: Deep Sidhu’s brother, gangster-turned activist Lakha SidhanaNew entrants’ takesNiranjan is very clear : “There can’t be any compromise on the unity or sovereignty of our country.” Asked about the calls for Khalistan associated with Amritpal before his detention, he says: “What Khalistan? This is our homeland; we already have it. There is no question of another homeland.”Ayali, a businessman and three-time MLA from Dakha who had been associated with the SAD for over two decades, says he joined WPD on the condition that it work within the framework of the Constitution. “I was very clear about it,” he says.For Ayali, WPD’s rise, particularly among young people, is inseparable from the decline of the SAD. “The SAD was formed over 100 years ago to represent the Panth. It combined politics with religion. But over time it became a party of the Badals.”Story continues below this adAyali is particularly critical of SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, saying the Akali leader was good at vote management but failed to read Sikh sentiment.Also Read | Will Amritpal Singh contest Punjab polls from Malwa, Majha? Buzz grows strong“The party’s fall began exactly 11 years ago when it pardoned Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim for making a mockery of the Sikh religion by masquerading as Guru Gobind Singh. It started a chain of events that culminated in sacrilege and the killing of two protesters.”Ayali, who was nominated by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, to a panel tasked with recruiting members, claims they brought 15 lakh young people into the party fold. But this worsened his ties with Badal.“WPD is hugely popular with youngsters because they see it as a new platform against drugs, corruption and unemployment,” he says.Story continues below this adRead | The shadow of jailed Amritpal Singh: Punjab has seen this movie beforeReminded of the rhetoric associated with Amritpal, Ayali points to Sikhism’s principle of “sarbat da bhalla”, or the welfare of all.“There is no discrimination in our mind against anyone. We will field Hindus and Muslims as well. If we form a government, we will have two deputy CMs, one Hindu and one Dalit.”Taking adviceSome retired bureaucrats, speaking on condition of anonymity, say senior WPD members have approached them for advice on making the outfit more inclusive.The effort to broaden the party’s appeal, however, predates the latest recruitments.Story continues below this adThe change in rhetoric was visible in the run-up to the 2024 Assembly elections, when Amritpal’s father, Tarsem Singh, better known as Bapuji, addressed gatherings without mentioning Khalistan. Instead, he focused on drugs destroying Punjab’s youth and said his son would work against them.Drug issueThe drug issue has since become one of WPD’s leading planks.At the politically significant Rakhar Puniya rally last month, the party promised a white paper on drugs. Controversial former Punjab Police DSP Balwinder Singh, who switched from the BJP to WPD on Wednesday, says this was one reason he was drawn to the party.“I am a very secular man. I am joining the party in the hope that it will work to weed out drugs. It was with the same hope that I joined the BJP, but it cannot absolve itself of responsibility for securing the border against drug smuggling.”Story continues below this adNiranjan, too, says his decision was driven by disillusionment with traditional parties and the AAP.“I am not a politician; I won’t contest any election. I have joined the party on four issues: drugs, high-level corruption, law and order, and employment.”He is particularly critical of law and order.“It is at its lowest ever. No one is safe. Dismissed AIG Raj Jit Hundal, accused of drug trafficking, offered to surrender before the Supreme Court on Thursday after absconding for three years. His whereabouts were not secret. It’s this rot that made me join WPD.”WPD is also trying to shape a broader political programme. Ayali says the party will soon announce a panel to prepare a vision document.Story continues below this ad“We are taking advice from every community, be it the youth, businessmen, traders and farmers, about Punjab’s problems and solutions. Ours is a consultative party; we will decide on the basis of what people tell us.”Asked about an alliance with the BJP, the Akalis’ long-time ally, Ayali shrugs.“We won’t make any alliance for kursi (power), and we won’t take any decision that goes against the Panth. That is non-negotiable.”Not everyone is convinced.Dr Pramod Kumar, a political observer, pointing to the tickets given by WPD, says the party’s new positioning may not be enough to change its political character.Story continues below this ad“This is a political adventure in which a party founded on a radical Panthic agenda is trying to project a moderate image by bringing in non-Panthic faces. This experiment is unlikely to succeed.”