In a major development in Haryana’s gurdwara politics ahead of the assembly elections, Bhupinder Singh Asandh has been unanimously re-elected as the President of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee’s (HSGMC) Ad-hoc Committee.
The decision was made in a meeting held at Kurukshetra mini-secretariat, where 40 of the 41 committee members were present.
However, only one member of the ad-hoc committee Mehar Singh was unable to attend.
The election process, conducted under the supervision of Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Sushil Sarwan, confirmed Asandh’s leadership for another term. Following this re-election, the committee will now proceed with the formal election process to appoint a new President, Vice-President, and an 11-member committee, which includes both senior and junior members.
Bhupinder Singh Asandh, speaking to the media, expressed his gratitude and reaffirmed his commitment to work collectively with all members for the betterment of Haryana’s Gurdwaras. “Since taking charge of the HSGMC Ad-hoc Committee, we have seen consistent income generation and smooth operations in all Gurdwaras across the state. I am honored to be re-elected and will continue to work closely with all members,” Asandh stated.
Committee member Baljit Singh Daduwal also praised the unanimous decision, highlighting Asandh’s leadership qualities. “Once again, Bhupinder Singh Asandh has been chosen as the President with full consensus. His leadership has been crucial, and we are confident in his ability to guide us forward,” Daduwal added.
The newly re-elected President Bhupinder Singh Asandh will be joined by key committee members, including Sudarshan Singh Sehgal as Senior Vice-President, Bibi Ravinder Kaur Azrana as Junior Vice-President, Sukhwinder Singh Mandebar as General Secretary, and Gulab Singh Moonak as Joint Secretary, among others. The full 11-member committee will oversee the management and operations of Haryana’s Gurdwaras, ensuring the continued growth and smooth functioning of these institutions.
Two days before the announcement of the schedule for the assembly elections, the BJP government on August 14 had nominated a new 41-member house of the ad hoc HSGMC to manage, supervise, and take over all assets of gurdwaras in Haryana. However, a section of the Sikh community was not happy with the appointment of the committee members as they were demanding the government to conduct the elections to appoint the members as the tenure of the previous committee got over in May.
Former HSGMC president Didar Singh Nalvi has termed the election of the new president as violation of the model code of conduct.
