SAD begins campaign for Jan 19 HSGMC polls

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has started campaigning for the elections of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) scheduled to be held on January 19 next year. The party has earlier announced to field candidates for the upcoming polls under the banner of Haryana Sikh Panthic Dal (HSPD).

While the nominations ended on December 28, at least 89 candidates have filed their papers on all 40 constituencies scheduled for the polls. There are a total of 49 seats, out of which nine members will be nominated to the general house of HSGMC from among the Sikhs belonging to different walks of life.

Top leaders of SAD, including working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar and former minister Daljit Singh Cheema, have started election-related meetings in Haryana with the bifurcation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) that led to the formation of a separate gurdwara body in Haryana in 2014. Since the formation of HSGMC, the elections have been taking place for the first time.

The formation of HSPD was necessitated after the act governing the HSGMC barred the political parties from taking part in the gurdwara body polls. The SAD was disqualified from contesting HSGMC polls on the ground that it is a registered political party with the Election Commission of India (ECI) under the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951.

The SAD decided to support HSPD after the Haryana Gurdwara Election Commission last week informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that a political party registered with the Election Commission of India (ECI) is not permitted to contest the HSGMC elections using its name or symbol.

The SAD is passing through a turbulent phase with its senior most leader Sukhbir Singh Badal resigning from the post of president in November, a month after being declared “tankhaiya” (guilty of committing religious mistakes). Later on December 2, the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, pronounced ‘sewa’ on the party leaders, including Badal, for penance.

After opting out of contesting the bypolls on the four seats in Punjab, the SAD contested civic body polls. In the HSGMC election, the party was eyeing a chance to bounce back politically and in the perception of the public, particularly the panth (community) that used to be its core support base.

“We have launched an extensive campaign in Haryana and would convey to the Sikhs of the state that the government here is directly interfering in Sikh matters and the maryada has been violated numerous times,” said Bhundar. He added that with the formation of a separate committee, attempts are being made to cut ties of Haryana Sikhs from Akal Takht, their highest temporal seat.

It needs to be mentioned that Panthak Dal (Jhinda Group) president Jagdish Singh Jhinda has voiced dissatisfaction with the current administration, saying, “The existing committee has not lived up to the expectations of the Sikh community.” He added that he is in talks with the HSPD for an alliance and a result is expected soon.