Chandigarh: Sukhbir Singh Badal resigned as the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday, former Punjab Education Minister Daljit S. Cheema announced in a tweet.

Badal, 62, stepped down to "pave the way" for the upcoming elections for the party's top leadership, Cheema said in the announcement.

“The SAD President S. Sukhbir Singh Badal submitted his resignation to the Working Committee of the party today to pave the way for the election of a new president," Cheema wrote, adding that Badal expressed gratitude to party leaders and workers for their support during his tenure.

Akali Dal Working Committee President Balwinder Singh Bhundar has convened an emergency meeting at noon on Monday at the party headquarters in Chandigarh to determine the next steps.

Elections for the positions of president, office bearers, and members of the working committee are slated for December 14.