Updating of electoral rolls for SGPC polls to start on Oct 21: Punjab CM
The elections of the SGPC, which is also known as the Sikh Parliament, are to be held after every five years as per law, but the present general house was elected in 2011. While hearing a petition, advocating the right to vote to ‘Sehajdhari Sikhs’, the Supreme Court (SC) had stayed the house from taking over and asked the then executive to run the SGPC affairs.
In a glimmer of hope for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), that has not gone to the polls since 2011, Punjab chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann said the process of updating the electoral rolls for the gurdwara body’s general house elections will start on October 21.
In a tweet, the Punjab CM informed that the process of registration of new votes and revision of voter lists for the much-awaited SGPC elections will start from October 21, while the rest of the details will be shared soon.
The elections of the SGPC, which is also known as the Sikh Parliament, are to be held after every five years as per law, but the present general house was elected in 2011. While hearing a petition, advocating the right to vote to ‘Sehajdhari Sikhs’, the Supreme Court (SC) had stayed the house from taking over and asked the then executive to run the SGPC affairs.
In 2016, the SC reinstated the general house and disposed of the petition advocating the right to vote to ‘Sehajdhari Sikhs’ as the case became irrelevant following a new central law taking away their right.
Notification for start of poll process issued in May too
The notification for starting the election process was issued by the chief commissioner on May 25 this year too, but no progress was seen in this direction, even as Sikh organisations have been pushing for the conduct of elections. Commenting on the delay in elections, chief commissioner Justice SS Saron had said, “The governments of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the UT administrator are to issue directions for updating the electoral rolls for SGPC elections.”
Recently, on World Democracy Day, Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) had organised a rally on the Heritage Street near Golden Temple to demand the conduct of SGPC elections.
Presently, Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) holds the majority in the SGPC house.
Representation of Haryana in the SGPC house continues to exist even as the Supreme Court had upheld the validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Act 2014 a year ago, and separate committee was constituted under this Act for Haryana gurdwaras. There is no clarity on whether SGPC elections will be held in Haryana or not in such a situation. It is being presumed that the air will be cleared only after the Centre takes call on this issue. As many as 11 members come from Haryana.
Of the total 191 members of the general house, 170 members are elected by Sikh voters in the general elections, 15 are co-opted, five are sitting (jathedars) heads of Sikh temporal seats and one is head granthi of Golden Temple.
There are a total of 110 constituencies in Punjab, out of which 47 segments are represented by two members each, while 30 constituencies are reserved for women candidates.
As the elections have not been conducted for last 12 years, nearly 28 members have expired and two had resigned, said the SGPC officials.
Office-bearers of the SGPC-- president, senior vice president, junior vice president, general secretary and 11 members of executive committee are elected by the general house for one year either unanimously or through the secret ballot.