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Makkar likely to get
another term as SGPC chief
WSN Network
Patiala: As the
election for the post of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
president nears (November 23), there are no visible signs of any
activity from any aspirants, including former presidents Jagir Kaur,
Kirpal Singh Badungar and former Akali minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan.
It is expected that present president Jathedar Avtar Singh Makkar
may be given another term thanks to his unquestionable loyalty
towards chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and SAD (Badal) acting
president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
According to highly placed sources, former president Jagir Kaur, who
was very keen to hold the prestigious post last time, is now being
considered out of the race because of her daughter’s murder case
being at a critical stage.
Kirpal Singh Badungar, another former SGPC president, had earlier
been asked to quit this post to accommodate Gurcharan Singh Tohra
after his compromise with Badal. Badungar was hopeful that the Badal
family would honour him by re-electing him as the president but
Makkar emerged as a surprise winner. Badungar was still hopeful that
the next turn would be given to him, but this time again Badal has
decided in favour of Makkar.
Former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, who came close to Sukhbir Badal
at the time of opposing Tohra, appeared another hopeful but he too
could not succeed. This time he is silent on the issue.
Sukhdev Singh Bhaur and Kiranjot Kaur too have been in the line for
long but they have no stronghold within the SGPC. The major factor
going in favour of Makkar is his unquestionable loyalty towards the
Badal family. Besides, his identity as an ‘urban Sikh’ president of
the SGPC is again considered the need of the hour now when the
Sarnas in Delhi are creating problems for the Badals on the
religious as well as the political fronts by joining hands with the
Congress.
14
November, 2007
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