Harjinder Singh Dhami re-elected SGPC president

Tribune News Service

GS Paul

Amritsar, November 11

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Harjinder Singh Dhami scored a hat-trick after he was re-elected president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) with a convincing win over former ‘dissident’ SAD MLA and SGPC member (Barnala) Balbir Singh Ghunas.

A total of 137 votes were polled. While Dhami got 118 votes, Ghunas could secure only 17. Two votes were declared invalid.

Of 151 members, 139 turned up to participate in the election process for the top post of the apex gurdwara body at the Teja Singh Samundri Hall in Golden Temple complex today.

Meanwhile, Harbhajan Singh Masana was elected as senior vice-president unopposed. Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa and Rajinder Singh Mehta were elected as junior vice-president and general secretary, respectively.

The 11-member executive included Mohan Singh Bangi, Raghbir Singh, Jasmer Singh Lachhar, Khushwinder Singh Bhatia, Hardeep Kaur, Indermohan Singh, Malkit Kaur, Amarjit Singh Bhalaipur, Jaspal Kaur and Jaswant Singh.

As per Gurdwara Act, 1925, the SGPC body has to be revamped every year by electing its president, senior vice-president, junior vice-president, general secretary and 15-member executive body, unanimously or through voting in the general house, if necessary.

Born on August 28, 1956, a Badal family loyalist, Dhami is from Punjab’s Doaba region. He has been the SGPC member from Sham Chaurasi segment since 1996. He hails from Piplan Wala village in Hoshiarpur district.

Dhami has been the SGPC chief for consecutive two terms — 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. He replaced Bibi Jagir Kaur as the chief in 2021-2022 election and his tenure as president of the Sikh body remained non-controversial.

Out of a total of 185 members, including the 15 co-opted members, the House consists of 151 members. As many as 30 members have died, while four others have resigned from the membership. Five Takht Jathedars and the Golden Temple head granthi are also counted in the House but they have no voting right.

This may probably be the last annual election of the existing body. The Chief Gurdwara Election Commission has declared to hold the General Elections (for a five-year term) of the SGPC. The voting registration process is under way and the SGPC general polls are expected to be held by mid-2024.

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