The outcome of the just concluded elections to the Sikh Gurdwara Prabandak Committee (SGPC) have given a fresh lease of life to the Shiromani Akali Dal, which had been completely marginalised during the Punjab Assembly elections. In fact, the SAD Chief Sukhbir Singh Badal has emerged stronger from the contest and was able to get his nominee, Harjinder Singh Dhami re-elected to the position of the SGPC president despite serious attempts made by breakaway factions to offer a fight. Former Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa had put all his weight behind Bibi Jagir Kaur, who has been the president thrice but had to face defeat this time. Bibi Jagir Kaur polled 42 votes while Dhami obtained 104 votes out of a total of 146 ballots that had been cast. Earlier, the SAD had expelled Bibi Jagir Kaur, who declined to withdraw her candidacy even though many senior functionaries had requested her to do so. She sought a conscience vote from members and claimed that she had actually been victorious while demanding Sukhbir Badal’s resignation. She said that Badal had stated that if she got more than 25 votes, he would step down but was now refusing to do so. Significantly, Dhami polled lesser votes this time as compared to the last time, when he had got 122 votes. The election was held in the Teja Singh Samundari hall, and all the victorious office-bearers subsequently paid their respects at the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple. Badal had put in a lot of hard work for this particular contest and reached out to virtually all the members personally, something similar to what his father and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal used to do at one time. He described Dhami’s victory as the defeat of the anti Panthic forces and said that the combined might of the Punjab and Haryana governments along with other partners could not change the expected result. From the standpoint of Punjab politics where the SAD was unable to retain its Panthic hold during the Assembly elections, the SGPC polls could be a game changer for the future. Apart from making the SAD look relevant once again, the SGPC polls may also force other parties to take the Akalis seriously when the tie ups take place for the 2024 Parliamentary polls. Even the BJP may like to offer an olive branch to the Akalis since it would also need new partners in the post-2024 scenario. The Badal family has deep roots in the state and can deliver once they bounce back. Although Dhindsa’s position may appear to be weakening right now, yet he cannot be completely written off. The situation can be exploited by Captain Amarinder Singh if he starts working for forging new combinations and permutations. The AAP, which is in power in Punjab, should also be worried about the developments and may seek to re-adjust its poll strategies. The SGPC polls have always been central to the Panthic politics and for any party that pursues the Panthic agenda, it is very important to keep the SGPC on its side. Dhami has said that the anti-Sikh forces have been defeated and this is how those who believe in Panthic politics would also look at the matters.
PANKAJ VOHRA