Chandigarh: It has become another major challenge for the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to retain its majority this time during the elections to be held in the general session convened for the SGPC president and other office-bearers on November 9.
Former president Bibi Jagir Kaur is also adamant to contest on her own. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) made every effort to convince Bibi Jagir Kaur, but these efforts have not been successful so far, due to which the challenge is increasing.
SGPC’s current president Harjinder Singh Dhami has convened a general session on November 9 to elect eleven members of the inter-committee, including the president and other office-bearers.
Bibi Jagir Kaur, a three-time president of the SGPC, said that if she has expressed her desire to serve the Sikh body as the president of the SGPC, then what is wrong in it. She said the SAD should have announced the name of the candidate for the president and other office-bearers a day or two in advance instead of removing it from the envelope on the same day.
Senior Akali Dal leader and spokesperson Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema said that there has been no positive response from Bibi Jagir Kaur in this matter so far.
In the General House of the SGPC, 170 members are elected and 15 members are nominated. Apart from these, the Jathedars of the Takhts are also members of the House but they do not have the right to vote. Of the current General House, 26 members of the SGPC have died.
Invitations have been sent to 157 members to attend the general session this time. At present, the SAD has around 125 members in its favour while the opposition has 25 to 30 members. Many members belonging to the Shiromani Akali Dal from the current House are also in favour of Bibi Jagir Kaur.
Opposition members to hold meeting soon
Meanwhile, Baba Gurpreet Singh, one of the members of the opposition, said that the opposition members will meet in a day or two to discuss the matter, in which a strategy will be chalked out to field their candidate or support someone during the general session. He made it clear that all the members in the opposition were anti-Badal and they would support the anti-Badal candidate only.