Haryana: Election for HSGMC president on August 13, five nominations filed at Guhla-Cheeka

KURUKSHETRA: The election for the post of president of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) (ad hoc) is scheduled to take place on August 13 at Gurdwara Patshahi Chhevin and Nauvin in Guhla-Cheeka town of Kaithal district, said Sirsa-based HSGMC officiating president Baljit Singh Daduwal on Friday.

The nomination process for the election of HSGMC president was scheduled to take place at committee office at above said gurdwara in Guhla-Cheeka on Friday and it got completed peacefully said secretary of HSGMC office Darshan Singh Barari .

Barari said, “We received nomination applications from five candidates for the post of HSGMC president including Jasbir Singh Khalsa of Dosarka in Ambala, Baljit Singh Daduwal of Sirsa, Swaran Singh Ratia of Fatehabad, Jasbir Singh Bhatti of Dabwali, and Harpreet Singh Narula of Karnal. The candidates can withdraw their nominations on August 9 and the election will take place on August 13.”

“We have intimated the Kaithal district administration to ensure security and maintenance of law and order on the day of election at the gurdwara in Guhla-Cheeka on August 13”, added Barari.

As per sources, there is a rift between committee members and it is divided into two groups including one of former HSGMC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda of Karnal and second of former senior vice president Didar Singh Nalvi.

After the election for president was announced, both Jhinda and Nalvi groups have started campaigning.

Jhinda group is supporting Jasbir Singh Khalsa and the Nalvi group is campaigning for Daduwal.

As per information, on July 13, all the executive body members of HSGMC had resigned in a general house meeting at Guhla-Cheeka and Daduwal was unanimously appointed acting president who announced the date of election process.

Daduwal told, “Out of 32 members, 23 members had participated in the meeting on July 13. Initially, there were 41 members of HSGMC, out of which, three have passed away. Four elected members took the oath with Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar as they got elected before the formation of HSGMC and these members do not have the right to vote in the election process in Haryana, as a member cannot be part of two different committees. Two members remained inactive since the formation of the committee, so there are a total of 32 members who have the right to vote on August 13.”

Sources told the direct contest is between Khalsa and Daduwal.