Members give authority, Sukhbir to name SGPC president today
Observers say Shiromani Akali Dal has no reason to replace Gobind Singh Longowal
AMRITSAR: Continuing with the old practice of “envelope culture”, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal will pick the president and other office-bearers of the apex gurdwara body, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and the names will be read out in the general house on Tuesday.
A day before the elections, Sukhbir, along with SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema and Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, held a meeting with the SGPC members at Teja Singh Samundari Hall, the headquarters of the gurdwara body.
Even as the name of Tota Singh is making rounds for the top post, observers say SAD has no reason to replace Gobind Singh Longowal.
During the meeting that lasted for over two hours, the SGPC members unanimously gave Sukhbir the authority to choose the office-bearers. The party president will send the list of the office-bearers in a sealed envelope through his emissary to the general house during the poll session that will start at 1pm on Tuesday. Usually, Cheema brings the envelope and the SGPC members give their approval.
Replying to a query, Cheema said the elections are being held on democratic lines. “The party president spent three days to meet personally all the SGPC members in Chandigarh. Today, he conducted a joint meeting with them. As the SGPC members resolved to pass on the powers to him, the SAD president will take the decision, considering the suggestions of the members and after consulting the other party leaders,” he said.
On the criticism by the opposition saying the practice was undemocratic, Cheema said the president will choose only those suggested by the SGPC members. “What kind of democracy they want?” he said.
In the 180-member general house, 174 have the voting rights. The posts for which elections will be held, are president, general Secretary, senior vice-president, junior vice-president and 11 executive members.
Last year, Gobind Singh Longowal got 154 of the 169 votes polled. Currently, the SAD enjoys the support of nearly same number of members.
However, sources put the rough figure of members who attended the meeting with Sukhbir on Monday at 115. Those who expressed their views during the meeting were incumbent president Gobind Singh Longowal, Bibi Jagir Kaur and Tota Singh, Balwinder Singh Bhunder.
Members belonging to antibadals camp will demand voting using secret ballots. Sukhdev Singh Bhaur leads the group.
AISSF DEMAND
Two factions of the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) led by Manjit Singh Bhoma and Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, on Monday demanded that the general house should also withdraw the resolution it passed in 2015, justifying the apology granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim .
In a statement, both the leaders said even as the Takht revoked the pardon latter, the resolution has not been withdrawn yet and it is a blot on the gurdwara body.