Haryana Gurdwara Panel to Co-opt Nine Members in Upcoming Meeting

Karnal : Amid intense lobbying for control over the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC), the Haryana Gurdwara Election Commission has announced that the newly elected house will meet on February 2 in Panchkula to co-opt nine new members. This will bring the total strength of the house to 49 members.

The date for the oath-taking ceremony is yet to be confirmed, but once completed, the 49 members will elect office-bearers.

As per the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Act, the nine co-opted members will include two Sikh women, three individuals from the Scheduled Castes and Backward Class categories, two Sikh intellectuals, and two representatives from the registered “Singh Sabhas” in the state. These co-opted members will have voting rights for the election of office-bearers, though elected members will retain the power to remove them.

The first general election for HSGMC, held recently, resulted in no group securing a majority. The election saw 22 independents, nine members from the Panthak Dal (Jhinda), six from the Akali Dal (SAD)-affiliated Haryana Sikh Panthak Dal, and three from the Sikh Samaj Sanstha.

Jagdish Singh Jhinda’s faction, along with some independents, is actively working to form a majority and take control of the committee. Both Jhinda and Baldev Singh of the Haryana Sikh Panthak Dal are optimistic about securing the support of independent members for the upcoming office-bearer elections.