The SGPC President, Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, was re-elected for the third time on Wednesday.
His opponent Balbir Singh Ghunnas received only 17 votes, whereas Dhami received 118 votes.

This time, SAD president Sukhbir Badal had announced Dhami’s name ahead of time, breaking with tradition.

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In the 2022–2023 election, Dhami received 104 of the 146 total votes, while rebel Akali leader Jagir Kaur received 42.

Dhami became the president for the first time in 2021 and was re-elected in 2022 wherein he defeated former three-time president Jagir Kaur in a high-stakes battle for the top post.

Yesterday while announcing Dhami’s name for the president’s post, SAD spokesperson, Daljit Singh Cheema, had earlier said, “The members were unanimous in their opinion that advocate Dhami had done yeoman service as president of the SGPC during the last two years and should be renominated as the party candidate for the same for the third time”.

“There is a unanimous feeling that advocate has stood up for panthic values and admirably defended panthic institutions during his tenure at the helm. We are appreciative of his work and are confident he will continue to steer the SGPC to even greater heights,” Sukhbir said.

The candidature of Balbir Singh Ghunas as a candidate against Dhami was supported by SAD (Sanyukt) leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, three-time SGPC president Jagir Kaur and former Akal Takht jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode.

Ghunas, a former MLA and member of the SGPC from the Chananwal area of the Barnala district, continues to be associated with the SAD. However, he offered assistance to Jagir Kaur, who ran an unsuccessful campaign against Dhami. Ghunas received support from Sant Charanjit Singh Jassowal, the SGPC member of the SAD camp and a former spokesperson for Damdami Taksal.

There are 191 members of the general house in total; 170 are elected by Sikh voters in general elections, 15 are co-opted, 5 are heads of Sikh temporal seats who are sitting (jathedars), and 1 is the head granthi of the Golden Temple. The chief granthis and jathedars, however, are not eligible to vote.