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Badal loyalist Harjinder Singh Dhami elected SGPC chief
Harjinder Singh Dhami won the SGPC chief’s post through ballot, secured 122 votes against opponent Mithu Singh Kahne Ke’s 19
Once a protégé of Akali bigwig and former SGPC president late Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Harjinder Singh Dhami, 65, on Monday took over the reins of the apex gurdwara body, replacing Jagir Kaur. The annual election was held at Teja Singh Samundri Hall here.
Dhami had supported Tohra during latter’s feud with the then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, which was described as “clash of Titans”, in 1999. Tohra and Badal buried the hatchet in 2003 and the former died in 2004. Now, Dhami, a qualified lawyer, is considered a loyalist of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Once again, the chief of the apex gurdwara body is from Punjab’s Doaba region. Dhami is an SGPC member from Sham Chaurasi segment and hails from Piplan Wala village in Hoshiarpur district. Jagir Kaur belongs to Begowal town in Kapurthala district of Doaba region.
On the eve of the annual poll session, the gurdwara body members owing allegiance to the SAD, which enjoys the majority in the House, had authorised party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to choose the president and other office-bearers. He sent the names to the House on Monday for its formal approval.
Of the 162 SGPC members, 142 attended Monday’s session. Outgoing SGPC senior vice-president Surjit Singh Bhittewad proposed the name of Dhami for approval of the House, but members from the opposition, including Balwinder Singh Bains and Gurpreet Singh Randhawa, demanded polling through a secret ballot by fielding their candidate, Mithu Singh Kahne Ke. Dhami secured 122 votes while Kahne Ke bagged only 19.
Panthic face Panjoli elected gen secy
The post of general secretary, the second most powerful seat in the gurdwara body, went to Karnail Singh Panjoli who was also a protégé of Tohra and is reportedly close to Sikh hardliners.
Once a critic of the Badals, Panjoli has also been an executive member earlier. Before joining the SAD, he had contested the Punjab assembly elections from Rajpura as a Dal Khalsa candidate. Analysts say Sukhbir may have given Panjoli the key post keeping his Panthic credentials in mind as assembly polls are round the corner. Panjoli, too, won the post through ballot.
Sukhbir’s close aide and SGPC member from Haryana Raghujit Singh Virk could again secure a place among the office-bearers as senior vice-president, while the post of junior vice-president went to Principal Surinder Singh, an SGPC member from SC community. Both these office-bearers were elected unanimously.
Oppn outcry over executive panel representation
The poll session also witnessed uproar from opposition members who wanted their two members to be inducted in the 11-member executive committee, but the newly elected president declined their demand, saying only 19 votes were cast in their favour and as per the calculation, the opposition deserved one-member representation. There was exchange of heated arguments.
The opposition got only a single representation in Baba Gurpreet Singh Randhawe Wale and members walked out of the session in protest. “It is unfortunate that instead of discussion, the atmosphere was deliberately spoiled by the opposition,” Dhami said later.
Other executive committee members are: Surjit Singh Kang, Sarwan Singh Kular, Surjeet Singh Garhi, Jarnail Singh Dogranwala, Balwinder Singh Vain Puin, Harjap Singh Sultanwind, Gurinderpal Singh Gora, Amarjit Singh Bandala, Gurpreet Kaur and Jodh Singh Samra.
