Campaigning ends, it’s over to voters

Syed Ali Ahmed

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 24

Campaigning for the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections ended at 5 pm today. Polling will be held on Sunday.

A few incidents of liquor seizure and skirmishes between supporters of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) were reported.

The police said liquor was seized from Vivek Vihar in Dilshad Garden ward in the trans-Yamuna area. The police have decided to register a case against an unidentified person. SAD and SAD (Delhi) leaders accused each other of using liquor to woo voters.

Supporters of Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Paramjit Singh Sarna were involved in a clash at Punjabi Bagh yesterday. Sirsa alleged that Sarna’s supporters created ruckus at his public meeting.

But Kulwinder Singh Mattu, press adviser of Sarna, said, “Sirsa’s supporters were distributing buckets among the voters. It was objected to by our party workers and that led to the clash.”

Being the last day of campaigning, all 335 candidates (SAD 46, SAD Delhi 46, Panthic Sewa Dal 39, Akal Sahai Welfare Society 11, Aam Akali Dal nine and Independents 184) made last-ditch efforts to win over voters. Since morning, they went door to door to meet voters in various wards. A majority of the candidates did not take phone calls during the day.

The total number of voters in this poll is 3.8 lakh. There are 46 wards. In the previous elections, the number of registered voters was 4.5 lakh. The authorities concerned said the reason for lesser number of voters this time was the deletion of fake votes.

The main contestants are DSGMC chief Manjit Singh GK from Greater Kailash, Manjinder Singh Sirsa from Punjabi Bagh, Avtar Singh Hit from Hari Nagar, Paramjit Singh Sarna from Punjabi Bagh, Bhajan Singh Walia from Pitampura, Tarsem Singh from Sant Garh, Jitender Singh Sahni from Lajpat Nagar, Harjinder Singh Khanna from Malviya Nagar, Sucha Singh from Safdarjung Enclave, Kartar Singh Kochar from Safdarjung Enclave, Inderjit Singh Monti from Vikaspuri and Sangat Singh from Kalkaji.

During campaigning, SAD’s main promises were the opening of Khalsa dispensaries, coaching centres for civil services aspirants, centre for job placement services, international education and sports centres, skill development centres and scholarship for higher studies.

The SAD Delhi, led by Paramjit Singh Sarna, highlighted the issue of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab, Dera Sacha Sauda’s support to Badal’s party in Punjab Assembly elections, the closure of engineering college, and the Guru Harkrishan Hospital adjacent Gurdwara Bala Sahib.

The Panthic Sewa Dal, Akali Sahai Welfare Society and Aam Akali Dal raised the issue of corruption in the DSGMC administration, holding Badal and Sarna groups responsible for it.

Poll plank: Sacrilege incidents

SAD (Delhi), led by Paramjit Singh Sarna, highlighted the incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab, Dera Sacha Sauda’s support to the Badals’ party in Punjab Assembly elections, closure of a Delhi engineering college, and the controversial Guru Harkrishan Hospital adjacent Gurdwara Bala Sahib. —Paramjit Singh Sarna

Main contestants 

• Manjit Singh GK from Greater Kailash
• Manjinder Singh Sirsa from Punjabi Bagh
• Paramjit Singh Sarna from Punjabi Bagh
• Harjinder Singh Khanna from Malviya Nagar