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Jagir Kaur sticks to her guns, in race for SGPC top post
Former SAD ministers Daljit Singh Cheema and Surjit Singh Rakhra represented party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in the meeting that took place at Kaur’s Begowal Dera in Kapurthala district and asked the former SGPC president to support the party’s nominee for the top post, but to no avail
Sticking to her guns, SAD leader Bibi Jagir Kaur refused to back down from the race for Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president and threatened to contest the November 9 election independently, if the party did not back her candidature, during a meeting with senior party leaders on Sunday.
Former SAD ministers Daljit Singh Cheema and Surjit Singh Rakhra represented party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in the meeting that took place at Kaur’s Begowal Dera in Kapurthala district and asked the former SGPC president to support the party’s nominee for the top post, but to no avail. It is learnt that the meeting ran for around three hours.
“It was good that the party approached me and we discussed the matter in detail. I have put forth my point. Now, it is up to the party,” she said, refusing to divulge more details. However, a person privy to the matter on condition of anonymity, said Kaur categorically refused to accept party’s offer.
Last week, Kaur,a three-time former president of the gurdwara body, had objected to ‘lifafa’ culture (the practice of the party president naming the SGPC president hours before the election) in an interview with Hindustan Times. She had also sought postponement of the polls as they coincide with Gurpurab festivities to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev on November 8. She has also been meeting elected members to garner support for her candidature. There are 156 elected members in the general house of the SGPC, of which at least 30 are against the party.
Before announcing her decision to fight the SGPC polls, Kaur had met Sukhbir Badal to stake her claim over the post of committee head. “Since there was no response (from Badal) she started reaching out to elected members to seek their support in the elections for office bearers,” one of Kaur’s aides said.
The party, however, is reluctant to back her this time as they fear that she will ignore the leadership, particularly the Badals, on becoming head of the SGPC.
On October 28, the party’s senior leadership led by the SAD president, pondered over the matter and a two-member committee (Cheema and Rakhra) was formed to approach and placate Kaur.
In the past, Kaur has enjoyed the confidence of both Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal, and has also remained president of the Istri Akali Dal, however, differences have crept up between them.
Rakhra said, “Though Kaur said she will discuss the party’s decision with her supporters and family members, she has shown a willingness to contest the polls.”
The party’s top leadership will meet again on November 4 to analyse the situation.
