Analysis of SGPC election: Former Punjab minister Bibi Jagir Kaur once again in the race for top position

Former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur is once again in the race for the top post of Sikh’s largest representative body and has also been reaching out to the SGPC members seeking their support.

Kaur who has been the minister in the SAD(B) government didn’t make an impetuous decision to contest for the presidentship of SGPC but a well-considerate one and she has not even denied her aspirations in public and media.

This is despite the fact that SAD(B) is yet to announce the name of the candidate of its choice for the crown of SGPC.

“Every SGPC member aspires to perform duties at a higher level” this is how Bibi Jagir Kaur justifies being in the race for the presidentship of SGPC though she denies going against the party lines.

Notably, the SGPC’s General House session is scheduled to be held on November 9, a day after the birth anniversary of Sikhs first master Guru Nanak Dev, at SGPC’s headquarters at Teja Singh Samundari Hall wherein SGPC’s president, vice president, and other office bearers will be elected.  

There are a total of 191 members in the SGPC,s house. One hundred and seventy members are elected from the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Chandigarh while 15 are co opted from across the nation . 

Five Sikh high priests and head granthi of Golden Temple are also the SGPC members . 

Since last SGPC elections twenty-six members have expired while two have resigned. As many as 22 members are from the opposition groups. 

Kaur who is also president of Dera Sant Prem Singh Murale Wale at Begowal has been in the thick of controversies including the mysterious death of her daughter yet she enjoyed immense support from the Lubana community and lauds their role for the spread of Sikhism.

Sikh intellectuals even a majority of   SGPC members, both aligned with SAD(B) and opposition groups are of the view that it will be SAD(B) president  Sukhbir Singh Badal who will eventually pick up the candidate for the post of presidentship of SGPC while considering the political future of his party that could barely manage a handful of seats and was been pushed to margins in state polity after last assembly elections.

The question arises whether Bibi Jagir Kaur turn rebellious if the party chose to ignore her visible ascent to the throne of SGPC by fielding some other candidate.

Going by her political past there appears to be hardly  any possibility of Jagir Kaur turning rebel and individually contesting the presidential elections but being an audacious leader this could well be considered a move to exert pressure on the party to not ignore her.

On the other hand, the present incumbent of the seat Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami is also leaving no stone unturned in justifying his candidature to the party by publicly counting his achievements during his tenure.

He claims to have inspired over 61000 Sikhs to baptize during his tenure, providing aid to the needy people, assisting the case of Sikh prisoners and support to their families, propagation of Sikhism etc.