Harjinder Singh Dhami, Jagir Kaur make last-ditch efforts on eve of SGPC polls

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami and three-time president Jagir Kaur camps made last-ditch efforts to woo members a day ahead of polls scheduled for Monday i.e. October 28.

Dhami, who is backed by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), had party’s senior leaders including working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar present at the meeting, while Jagir Kaur, who is backed by the SAD rebel group and others, also held parallel meetings with supporters.

The SGPC general house will elect the president, other office-bearers and an 11-member executive committee on Monday.

In the absence of SAD president Sukhbir Badal, who was declared tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) for the mistakes committed by the party and its government from 2007 to 2017, the party’s working president Bhundar addressed the meeting of the members supporting the party at Teja Singh Samundri Hall, headquarters of the gurdwara body, on the election eve. Besides Bhundar and Dhami, SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema and Delhi unit president and former DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna also addressed the meeting.

On the other hand, Jagir Kaur accompanied by rebel leaders including Charanjit Singh Brar also met some SGPC members at Sri Guru Hargobind Niwas in Golden Temple complex. Later they also held another meeting.

Of the total 191 members of the general house, 170 members are elected by Sikh voters in the general elections, 15 are co-opted, five are sitting (jathedars) heads of Sikh temporal seats and one is head granthi of Golden Temple. However, the jathedars and head granthis don’t have the right to vote.

As the general elections of the SGPC have not been conducted for the last 13 years, 31 members have expired, four have resigned and two were held ineligible, as per an official of the gurdwara body.

As per sources, some members are abroad and nearly 140 members are expected to be present at the session that will start at 12 pm on Monday.

While interacting with the media after the meeting, Bhundar said, “Despite all kinds of pressures on them from the ruling AAP, BJP-RSS and Congress, the SGPC members turned up in the meeting in large numbers to extend solidarity with Sikh principles and support Harjinder Singh Dhami.”

Cheema claimed that 99 members were present in the meeting and 11 members were on the way to Amritsar.

Jagir Kaur, meanwhile, said, “Despite being declared tankhaiya, Sukhbir has conducted meetings with the SGPC to influence them. Pro-Badal leaders are telling a lie. Not more than 60 members were present at their meeting.