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Jagir Kaur asks Dhami to postpone SGPC presidential polls by at least 10 days
Sources close to Kaur say she has decided to throw hat in the ring this time, challenging the practice wherein SGPC president is handpicked by SAD chief
Three-time former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur has asked the apex gurdwara body chief Harjinder Singh Dhami to postpone the SGPC presidential polls by at least 10 days. The polls are slated to be held on November 9.
Usually, the polls, which also elect the general secretary, senior vice-president, junior vice-president and 11 members of the SGPC executive committee, either unanimously or with secret ballot papers, are conducted by November-end. Last year, the elections were held on November 29.
Kaur was elected to the top gurdwara body post in 1999, 2004 and 2020.
Sources close to Kaur said she has decided to throw hat in the ring this time, challenging the practice of ‘lifafa’ (envelop) culture, as per which the president is handpicked by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief. When questioned over her contesting the polls, Kaur said: “Any SGPC member can fight elections for the apex gurdwara body’s president’s post.”
In an appeal to incumbent president Dhami, Kaur said: “The birth anniversary of Guru Nanak will be celebrated during those days. So, the Singh Sahiban (takht jathedars and granthis of the Golden Temple), who are also members of the SGPC general house, would not be available due to the congregations to be organised in and outside the country to celebrate the Gurpurb. Four members of the SGPC go to Pakistan with the Sikh jatha to take part in the celebrations at Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak. In such a situation, the general house poll session should be postponed.”
The SGPC president had called the general house session early this year. A decision about the date of the poll session is usually made by the executive committee in its meeting. But this time, Dhami made took the decision on his own, said SGPC members privy to the development.
When contacted, Dhami said: “Everybody has a right to speak in a democracy. The party will take a final call and SGPC members will elect the president.”
People privy to internal matters of the SGPC and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are linking this decision with Kaur, who, as per them, is keen to contest the elections. Kaur has been making efforts to regain the reins of the gurdwara body and she has also conveyed it to the top leadership of the SAD, which controls the SGPC. They say Kaur is also approaching SGPC members, convincing them to stand against the ongoing culture wherein the president is handpicked by SAD president and the poll session is called just to stamp his choice. This culture has been witnessed after the demise of Gurcharan Singh Tohra, who is considered as the last influential SGPC president.
Observers say conducting polls in advance means giving lesser time to Kaur to mobilise SGPC members in her support. The poll session is likely to be interesting. In case Dhami is the choice of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal for the next term, Kaur is most likely to contest the poll, say people familiar with the internal matters of the SGPC.
The SGPC polls this year will be the first after the state assembly elections in which the SAD registered its worst-ever performance. After the assembly polls, rebel voices have already emerged within the party against the leadership of Sukhbir.
