Patiala (Punjab), July 20: The SGPC executive committee today accepted the resignation of Kirpal Singh Badungar as president of the Sikh body, clearing the way for Gurcharan Singh Tohra to take over. Badungar had offered to step down earlier this week as part of a unity formula worked out between Akali factions led by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Tohra. Badal had immediately accepted Badungar's offer and announced that Tohra, who had the longest tenure of 25 years as Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) president, would be the next chief. An executive committee member, Alwinder Pal Singh Pakhoke, has been made acting president of the sgpc till Tohra is formally elected to the top post, SGPC sources said.

Bureau Report