Date:14/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/14/stories/2007011416860300.htm

New Delhi

Gurdwara elections today

Staff Reporter

Four lakh likely to exercise their franchise

NEW DELHI: The stage is set for elections to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee on Sunday in which about 4 lakh people from the community would be eligible to vote. The Delhi Minister in charge of Gurdwara elections, Arvinder Singh Lovely, said on Saturday that the campaign for the elections this year has been largely peaceful and there has been no major problem in the run-up to the polls. For the 46-member DSGMC, three major parties are in the race. They include the Shiromani Akali Delhi that won the last polls and is led by Harvinder Singh Sarna and his brother Paramjit Singh Sarna. This group has the blessings of the Congress. The Shiomani Akali Dal (Badal) led by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Hit is the other big group. It has open support of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Then there is the Shiomani Akali Dal (Panthak) led by Manjit Singh. Another key player in the polls is Prahlad Singh Chandok who is fighting as an Independent but wields a major influence on the polls as he is said to be enjoying the support of the Badal camp as well.