Gurdwara Panel Likely To Hold SGPC Polls In June

Objections can be filed till March 10; electoral rolls to be finalised by April 16; last SGPC polls had taken place in 2011

- Gurpreet Singh Nibber

CHANDIGARH: The polls to elect a new general house for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) are expected to take place in June. The Gurdwara Elections Commission has set April 16 as the date for finalising the electoral rolls, after which it would write to the union ministry for home to announce the election.

"Our preparations are almost over. Once the electoral rolls are finalised, we would submit to the ministry of home affairs for further action, which is announcement of the polls," said a functionary of the gurdwara election commission that oversees the conduct of the polls, on anonymity.

Last time the election took place in 2011. However, the elected House became functional in 2016 after a case filed by the sehajdhari Sikhs in the Supreme Court was decided. The sehajdharis had moved the apex court challenging the decision of the ministry of home affairs denying them the right to vote.