Turbanators queering the pitch as Delhi votes today
While Sikhs constitute just 3.4 per cent of Delhi’s population, according to the 2011 Census, their electoral influence is far more significant, particularly in key Assembly constituencies. As Delhi heads to the polls on Wednesday, 11 Sikh candidates from the BJP, AAP, and Congress will contest in various segments.
Among these are BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who has emerged among top five billionaire candidates in the fray, as per a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Another notable name is Jitender Singh Shunty, widely hailed for his work during the Covid-19 pandemic and his long-standing mission to provide dignified funerals for unclaimed bodies.
Of the 11 Sikh candidates, only one is a woman: Congress’s Harbani Kaur, who is contesting from the Janakpuri Assembly segment against AAP’s Pravin Kumar and BJP’s Ashish Sood.
The AAP and Congress have each fielded four Sikh candidates, while the BJP has three.
Commenting on the Sikh factor in Delhi elections, Harinder Pal Singh, former member of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) believes that the issue of a memorial for late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could influence Sikh voters.
He pointed out that the BJP’s candidate Parvesh Verma’s recent remark about Punjab-registered vehicles in Delhi and the ongoing debate about the memorial proposal are fresh in the minds of the community. “These statements do not go well with the community,” he said.
Senior Advocate HS Phoolka, a prominent activist who has spent a lifetime helping the families affected by 1984 anti-Sikh riots, said, “The Sikh community is currently divided. Historically, Sikhs have supported political parties backed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). However, the SAD has not supported any party this time. On a broader level, the community seeks respect for its culture and language.”
Constituencies such as Rajouri Garden and Tilak Nagar are expected to see fierce competition as both have high percentage of Sikh voters. Rajouri Garden, a Congress stronghold from 1993 to 2008, saw BJP’s Sirsa break the party’s dominance when he contested on a SAD ticket in 2013. In the subsequent elections, the AAP secured the seat in both 2015 and 2020.
In Tilak Nagar, AAP’s Jarnail Singh has been the MLA since 2013 and is once again defending the seat.
Pratap Singh, secretary of Sikh Forum, a body of community intellectuals in Delhi, said none of the parties had done anything big for the community.
“Freebie culture dominates the current politics and this has not benefitted anyone. It’s a new form of vote bank politics. The contest this time is tough,” contest this time.”
Sikh candidates in fray
AAP: Surender Pal Singh Bittu (Timarpur), Punardeep Singh Sawhney (Chandni Chowk), Jarnail Singh (Tilak Nagar) and Jitender Singh Shunty (Shahdara).
Congress: Rajender Namdhari (Moti Nagar), PS Bawa (Tilak Nagar), Harbani Kaur (Janakpuri) and Gurcharan Singh Raju (Krishna Nagar)
BJP: Manjinder Singh Sirsa (Rajouri Garden), Tarvinder Singh Marwah (Jangpura), and Arvinder Singh Lovely (Gandhi Nagar).