Elected DSGMC members to induct nine others on Sept 9

Head priests of the four takhts (temporal seats), the Akal Takht, Keshgarh Sahib, Patna Sahib and Hazoor Sahib are also co-opted into the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) general House

Chandigarh Forty-six newly elected members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) will meet on September 9 to nominate former president Manjinder Singh Sirsa as a member and co-opt eight others into the general House of the gurdwara management body. The Shiromani Akali Dal won 27 of 46 seats and is ready to form the committee for the third consecutive term.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal after elections results were announced on August 25; the party won on 27 of 46 seats and will form the DSGMC managing committee team for the third time in a row. (HT file)

Sirsa’s nomination, a candidate of the SAD, is necessitated as he had lost to SAD (Delhi) candidate Harvinder Singh Sarna from Punjabi Bagh segment in the polls held on August 22; the results were declared on August 25.

The elected members will co-opt two members from among the Singh Sabha Gurdwara in New Delhi, and other two members will also be taken in, on the collective will of those elected, even though they might hold different political affiliation. Members from Singh Sabhas are inducted by a lottery system.

“We hope that this time again it would be a consensus; one member will come from the Badal-led SAD, and other from Sarnas’ led SAD (Delhi),” said a member, not wanting to be named.

Head priests of the four takhts (temporal seats), the Akal Takht, Keshgarh Sahib, Patna Sahib and Hazoor Sahib are also co-opted making the total number of members in general house to 55. The temporal heads, however, do not have the right to vote, while the other 51 can vote under the DSGMC Act of 1971.

Elected members have zeroed in on Bikram Singh of Rohini as a nominated member, as he vacated his seat for Sarabjit Singh to contest as SAD candidate. The other member has not been identified yet.

Sarnas led SAD (Delhi) had won on total 14 seats, former DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK, who fielded candidates representing newly formed Jago party, shrunk to three seats. Independents won two seats. GK himself won his home seat of Greater Kailash.

After the co-option of members, director, gurdwara election, Delhi government, will announce a meeting schedule for general body within 15 days. The general body would elect the office-bearers, who would take the oath to run the DSGMC affairs for four years.