SAD (Badal) sweeps Gurdwara Management Committee elections

After a gap of ten years, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) has wrested back control of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), defeating the ruling Congress-backed dispensation.

SAD (Badal), supported by BJP, bagged 37 out of 46 seats while Congress-backed Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) claimed eight seats against its current strength of 27 seats.

While one seat went to Kendriya Sri Guru Singh Sabha (KSGSS), Dashmesh Seva Society (DSS) failed to open its account in the election. SAD (Delhi) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna lost by the highest margin of votes to SAD (Badal)'s Manjinder Singh from Punjabi Bagh.

"While Sarna polled 4,552 votes, 9,006 votes went to Singh, the difference being 4,454 votes," said G P Singh, Director of the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections.

Congress downplayed the result of the polls, claiming the outcome will not have any bearing on Delhi assembly polls. Sikhs have a sizable presence in Delhi. "Congress has nothing to do with the result of the DSGMC.

It is a religious body of Sikh community and our party was not directly involved in the contest. That is why the party even did not stop MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah from contesting the polls," Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's Parliamentary Secretary Mukesh Sharma said.

BJP described the result as a "personal defeat for Dikshit and Minister In-charge of Gurudwara Affairs Arvinder Singh Lovely."

"The downfall of Congress had started in the municipal corporation polls last year. Now, with the defeat of the Congress-backed group in Gurudwara polls, the party must realise what's in store for it in the assembly polls," Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta said.

Bhupinder Singh Sabharwal of SAD (Delhi) representing ward number 30, Gandhi Nagar, had won uncontested. The sole seat won by KSGSS went to its president and four-time MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwaha who defeated his rival Tirath Singh of SAD (Delhi) in Defence Colony ward.

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