SAD (Delhi) to take over DSGMC reins

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SAD (Delhi) to take over DSGMC reins

Express News Service

New Delhi, September 24: The Delhi unit of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has trounced the recently merged Badal-Tohra combine in today’s election to stake its claim over Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.

Prahlad Singh Chandhok, former acting president of Punjab Congress, defeated the Badal-Tohra groups’ candidate Manmohan Singh Sachdeva. While Chandhok polled 27 votes, Sachdeva got 20. SAD’s Delhi unit is headed by Paramjit Singh Sarna, the outgoing DSGMC chief.

SAD president Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra had vowed to oust Sarna, whom they accused of toeing the Congress line and using his religious position to promote his business. But the tide turned against the two Akali stalwarts as sacked Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh, who has five supporters in the 51-member committee, put his weight behind Chandhok.

Singh said that the pro-Sangh Parivar stance of the Badal-Tohra combine was not acceptable to him as it would hurt the interests of Sikhs. Meanwhile, the Badal group has attributed Chandhok’s victory to Congress’ promise to offer tickets to Sarna’s followers in the November elections. Sarna has asked for tickets to fight elections from Tilak Nagar, Hari Nagar and Vishnu Garden, they alleged. A ticket for Sarna or his brother in the parliamentary elections also has been assured, the Badal-Tohra combine members said.

They also point out that the Congress government in Punjab had contributed as much as the Delhi government to lure members to vote for Chandhok. Three members were given bus permits and industrial plots in Punjab, the Badal-Tohra combine memb

ers alleged.

According to them, one of the key reasons for their defeat was that a court had sealed votes of two allies — Jeevan Singh Channa, president of the Gurdwara Singh Samiti and Baljit Singh.

Channa had been denied nomination to the committee last week and in his place Jagmohan Singh Jaggi, a former president of one of the Gurdwara Singh Sabhas in Delhi of 1987, was nominated.

The matter went to court. While the court sealed Channa’s vote, it allowed Jaggi to go ahead and vote in today’s election, party workers said. The sealing of these two votes prompted two more members to move towards Chandhok, the leaders said.