HSGPC elections begin, voter criteria set

CHANDIGARH

The Haryana Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGPC) elections are officially underway, with the Election Commissioner releasing a list of 30 approved election symbols. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has already held discussions with committee members to outline the eligibility criteria for candidates and voters.

The Chief Minister has approved that Amritdhari Sikhs from any state are eligible to contest in the HSGPC elections. Voter registration forms will be exclusively in Punjabi and the task of voter enrollment will be carried out by Punjabi teachers. Voting rights have been limited to haired Sikhs, and only Amritdhari Sikhs will be allowed to cast their ballots.

Senior Vice-Chairman of the HSGPC, Bhupinder Singh, stated that the Chief Minister has been positively responsive to the committee’s demands. Regarding the recent resignation of Mahant Karamjit, Singh commented that the departure was due to personal reasons, although further details were not provided.

The Election Commissioner has set the deadline for new voter registrations to September 30. Anyone wishing to become a voter for the HSGPC elections can register during this period. The state government has already completed the delimitation process, dividing the state into 40 electoral wards.

In the upcoming HSGPC elections, one member will be elected from each of these 40 wards. Once the 40 members are elected, subsequent appointments, including the head of the committee, will be made. Authorities have issued directives to all Deputy Commissioners to register voter lists and names for the HSGMC. Application forms for voter registration are available free of cost from Patwari in rural areas and from the secretary of municipal committees, councils, and corporations in urban areas.