In a high-stakes political move, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday announced its decision to approach the Gurdwara Election Commission over alleged large-scale irregularities in ensuing the voter lists for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections.
Convening a crucial meeting at its Chandigarh headquarters, SAD’s working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar, former president Sukhbir Singh Badal, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, and senior leaders strategized to counter what they termed a deliberate attempt by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to manipulate the elections.
The party resolved to demand a thorough scrutiny of voter lists, an extension of the voter registration period, and the removal of ineligible voters. A delegation led by Sukhbir Badal will present evidence of these discrepancies to the Chief Commissioner for Gurdwara Elections, Justice (retired) SS Saron, on Thursday.
Sukhbir, addressing the media after the meeting, accused the AAP Government of inflating voter rolls by registering bogus entries and including individuals from other religions to influence the SGPC elections. “The sanctity of these elections is being compromised through deliberate manipulation of voter lists. Non-Sikhs and en-masse names from assembly voter rolls have been added,†he alleged.
“We will apprise the Chief Commissioner that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is trying to rig the gurdwara elections by inflating the voter lists by registering bogus voters and even voters from other religions. The AAP government is trying every trick in the trade to include ineligible voters with the purpose of influencing the elections,†he said.
He further stressed that the SGPC, as the apex body managing Sikh religious affairs, must remain free from political interference. He emphasized the urgency of addressing these irregularities, calling the situation a threat to Sikh identity and autonomy.
The meeting, attended by a majority of SGPC members, saw extensive discussions on the anomalies in the voter lists. Senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema outlined the key decisions taken, including filing a formal complaint with the Gurdwara Election Commission; demanding an extension of the deadline for voter registration to ensure all eligible voters are included; submitting evidence of ineligible voters and appealing for their deletion from the rolls; and engaging sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) to address discrepancies at the local level.
SGPC president Dhami expressed his concern over the involvement of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who, he claimed, had added names without proper verification. “In many cases, names of non-Sikhs have been registered, and voter lists lack essential details such as photographs,†Dhami said.
The meeting concluded with a rallying call to SAD members and workers to unite against what was described as “anti-panthic forces.†Party leaders vowed to protect the sanctity of the SGPC elections and secure a decisive victory. They also pledged to intensify their membership drive and counter any attempts to weaken the panthic vote base.
