Mandeep singh
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led by Ferozepur MP Sukhbir Singh Badal has registered a clear majority by winning 27 seats out of the total 46 in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) election held on Sunday, results of which were announced on Wednesday. The main parties contesting the elections are Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), Manjit Singh GK's Jago Party and Paramjit Singh Sarna-headed Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi). The voting for the election was held on Sunday (August 22) for 46 seats and a turnout of just 37.27 per cent was recorded. There were a total of 312 candidates, including 132 independents.
As per a list declared by the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections, Akali Dal won 27 out of 46 seats, whereas Akali Dal Delhi won 15 seats, Jago party won 3 seats and 1 seat was won by Panthic Lehar.
The triumph has given a boost to the SAD ahead of the next year`s Punjab assembly polls in which the party would aim to extricate the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government. "The BJP, via Dhindsa and Manjit Singh G.K., won two out of 46 seats while Congress, via Paramjit Singh Sarna, won 14 out of 46. This is just the beginning of the storm which will sweep aside both the Congress and AAP in Punjab in the 2022 Assembly elections," Badal said.
Obligatory DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa of SAD has, however, lost the election by over 500 votes to Harvinder Singh Sarna of SAD-Delhi. He had contested from the Punjabi Bagh ward. Despite the defeat, Sirsa flashed the victory sign to the media while exiting the counting center at Aryabhatt Institute of Technology on Wednesday afternoon. He said, "The people have once again given us a chance to serve".
The DSGMC is responsible for the management of Sikh shrines in the national capital Delhi, including Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj. The body also manages several academic institutions including Guru Harkrishan Public Schools and charitable hospitals in the city.
Polling for the DSGMC is held every four years and a total of 46 members are elected to as many wards.The elections to the DSGMC are organised by the Delhi government's Directorate of Gurdwara Elections and as per the details available, there are 3.42 lakh eligible voters.
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