Boost for Akali Dal as Harjinder Dhami wins top Sikh body SGPC election again

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Harjinder Singh Dhami was on Monday re-elected the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for a fourth consecutive term, a development that has given a significant boost to the Punjab-based political party.
Dhami defeated Bibi Jagir Kaur, a former SGPC president and candidate from a rebel SAD faction, in the election held at the Teja Singh Samundari Hall earlier in the day.
The election saw 142 SGPC members casting their votes. Dhami won decisively with 107 votes, while Jagir Kaur garnered 33. Two votes were declared invalid.
The contest was closely followed, especially in light of SAD’s recent internal conflicts which have led some senior members to split and establish a rival faction. Bibi Jagir Kaur was fielded by Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar, a rebel faction of the SAD.
The SAD, once a dominant force in Punjab politics, has seen a decline in recent years. After holding power from 2007 to 2017, the party’s representation was reduced to 15 seats in the 2017 state Assembly elections.
In the 2022 Assembly polls, this number further dwindled to only three seats under the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal. Adding to the challenges, Badal was recently declared Tankhaaiya — guilty of religious misconduct — by the Akal Takht, putting further strain on SAD’s standing.
For SAD, Dhami’s victory marks a moment of reprieve amid these setbacks, suggesting a consolidation of support within the SGPC ranks. Expressing gratitude after the win, senior SAD leader Daljeet Singh Cheema thanked the SGPC members for their faith in Dhami’s leadership.
Meanwhile, Bibi Jagir Kaur expressed disappointment at her defeat, stating, “I was hopeful and assured by many SGPC members, but it seems they changed course”. Kaur said she will continue serving the Sikh community, vowing to work for the well-being of the Panth despite the outcome.