NEW DELHI: The polling for the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee elections witnessed a low turnout of 37.27 per cent on Sunday, officials said.
The DSGMC which controls shrines in the city, including Rakabganj and Bangla Sahib Gurudwaras as well as various academic institutions and hospitals, goes to polls after every four year.
The DSGMC is a membered body, of which 46 are directly elected from 46 wards in Delhi. Rest of the members are appointed from different seats of Sikh religion and groups.
The elections being conducted by the Delhi government’s Directorate of Gurdwara Elections, has 3.42 lakh voters. The voting percentage of male voters was 39.95 per cent and it was 34.95 per cent for females, officials said.
The Punjabi Bagh ward recorded the highest voting percentage of 54.10 per cent while Sham Nagar recorded the lowest 25.18 per cent, according to the figures issued by the directorate.
Counting of votes will take place on August 25. A total of 312 candidates, including 132 independents, are in the fray.
The major players include Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) which has fielded candidates from all the 46 wards. SAD’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa is currently the president of DSGMC.
Manjit Singh GK-led Jago party has fielded 41 candidates while Akali Dali (Delhi) headed by Paramjit Singh Sarna is contesting in 45 wards. Both Manjit Singh and Sarna are former presidents of DSGMC.
In the previous elections held in 2017, SAD came to control the DSGMC by winning 35 wards.
Source: Press Trust of India
