With allotment of symbols, candidates intensify campaigning

After the withdrawal of nominations and allotment of symbols, the candidates contesting the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) elections have intensified their campaigning.

Initially, 40 candidates had filed their nominations from five wards but after the scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations, 21 candidates are left in the fray. The elections of the HSGMC are scheduled to be held on January 19.

The candidates are going door to door, holding tea programmes and meeting influential and well known faces of the community to garner their support in the Gurdwara polls.

Harmanpreet Singh, who is contesting election from Ward15 said, “We have been going door to door to meet people and seek their support in the election. The community members and leaders have been giving a positive response and I am confident that they will give me an opportunity to represent them in the committee. We have struggled for years to get the separate Gurdwara committee in Haryana, but it was being run by the government nominated members. We aim to improve the functioning of the committee, improve educational institutions being run by the committee and health facilities besides providing scholarships to talented students.”

Bhupender Singh, who is also contesting from Ward15, said “Better education, hospitals where people can get treatment at minimum affordable prices, better salaries for the employees of the HSGMC and scholarships for the needy are some of the agendas that we have mentioned in our manifesto. We are confident that the people will support us for better management of the committee and the gurdwaras.”

Sikh Samaj Sanstha president Didar Singh Nalvi who is contesting from Ward13, said “The government nominated committee has failed to run the committee as per the expectations of the community. There has been a direct interference of the state government in the functioning of the HSGMC, which is not acceptable. We are assuring the community members that we will not tolerate any interference and run the gurdwaras as per the Sikh maryada and work for the betterment.”

Similarly, Satpal Singh, who is contesting from Ward 11 (Pehowa) said, “We are visiting all deras, villages and gurdwaras to meet people and make them aware of our promises. We aim to bring transparency and end corruption in the functioning of the Haryana committee. There is a need to focus on improving educational institutions and healthcare facilities.”

As many as 21 candidates are left in fray for the HSGMC polls from five wards of Kurukshetra. From Ward 13 (Shahabad) Sajjan Singh, Sukhmeet Singh, Kartar Singh, Didar Singh Nalvi, Beant Singh, and Manjeet Singh are in fray. From Ward15 (Thanesar) Harmanpreet Singh, Bhupender Singh and Ravinder Kaur, from Ward11 (Pehowa) Satpal Singh, Harjeet Singh and Kuldeep Singh, from Ward12 (Murtzapur) Amritpal Singh, Inderjeet Singh and Surjeet Singh are in fray. Similarly, from Ward 14 (Ladwa) Saroop Singh, Harpreet Singh, Gurdev Singh, Jasbeer Kaur, Palvinder Singh and Baljinder Singh are left in the fray.