DSGMC to elect office-bearers on January 19

CHANDIGARH : The general House of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara management committee (DSGMC) will elect its new set of office-bearers on January 19. Acting president Harmeet Singh Kalka has written to director of the Gurdwara Election Commission (GEC) in Delhi to conduct the polls.

On December 6, all officebearers, including president Manjit Singh GK, general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the senior vice-president and the vice-president, along with the five-member executive committee, had stepped down.

This was after a petition was filed in a Delhi trial court against GK, seeking the registration of a criminal case against him, for alleged usurpation of committee funds.

The matter is pending in the sessions court, which has stayed the trial court’s proceedings.

The elections for office-bearers are held every two years and if the usual calendar was followed, these would be held in March.

The majority of 55 DSGMC members are from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The SAD president has sought resignations of all office-bearers, also announcing that ‘fresh faces will come for the top posts’.

After the December 6 resignations, Kalka replaced GK as the officiating president. Other office-bearers, including general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa, continue to function on the same posts as their resignations were not accepted.

An office bearer in the DSGMC, on the condition of anonymity, said, “The director of gurdwara elections has received the request and has asked the

When the committee wants to hold elections, the director gurdwara elections should have no problem. MANJINDER SINGH SIRSA, general secretary, DSGMC

DSGMC the necessity of the polls. It has not granted clearance yet.

However, Sirsa said, “When the committee wants to hold elections, the director gurdwara elections should have no problem.” He also clarified that he was not in the race for the top post.

Harmanjeet Singh, Sirsa and Kalka are the top contenders to replace GK.

Former DSGMC president Avtar Singh Hit is also staking his claim for the top post, saying that as all the above three are already in the executive body, and as per the party mandate cannot take any post.

GK was elected the DSGMC president in February 2013 for the first time and in 2017, he won the majority in the second consecutive gurdwara polls held. GK was a vocal leader and was critical of party functioning before his tenure came to an abrupt end.