With the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal having cleared the decks for holding DSGMC elections and the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections having today briefed the police and municipal corporation staff regarding preparedness for the polls, it is a matter of time when notification will be issued for holding elections on 22 August as submitted by the Delhi government in an undertaking to the Delhi High Court. WSN reports.

WITH LEADERS OF ALL GROUPS CONTESTING THE DSGMC elections maintaining a low-key and with none of the participating groups objecting to the election date of 22 August, which happens to be the festival day of Rakhsha Bandhan, there is a likelihood of a step up in activity during the next two weeks as the Delhi government has started taking all steps of coordinating with Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Police to conduct the elections.

The Delhi administration will have to deal with law and order, making arrangements for the polls, oversee implementation of the Model code of conduct and Covid19 compliant behaviour.

22 August is a Sunday and the festival of Rakhsha Bandhan which sees a lot of movement of families prior to and on the day to tie the brotherhood band of Rakhi by sisters on the wrists of their brothers.  Sources in the Delhi government say that the only logic for holding it on that day is that it happens to be a Sunday and the only Sunday prior to the last day of 29 August. 

“The AAP party is preparing to fight the Badal Dal in Punjab, but in Delhi seems to be doing everything to support the Badal Dal in the DSGMC election through acts of omission and commission.” 

The notification for elections to the constituency Khureji Khas, where a contesting candidate passed away due to Covid19 has already been issued for 22 August. 

The term of the present house of the DSGMC comes to an end on 29 August and therefore the Directorate is mandated to hold the elections by 28 August. However, the Directorate can extend the term as required under the provisions of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1971. 

The total voter turnout during the last elections in 2017 was abysmally low and with a good section of the Sikh community celebrating this social festival, it is feared that this time around people coming out to vote will be far less than last time. Sikh circles in Delhi are unable to understand the logic of holding elections on a festival day. Yet, none of the six groups participating in the polls has objected to the elections on that day nor have they sought extension by another week. 

Sikh circles in Delhi are unable to understand the logic of holding elections on a festival day. Yet, none of the six groups participating in the polls has objected to the elections on that day nor have they sought extension by another week. 

The Badal Dal is milking the time extension to the fullest by initiating and furthering programmes and activities, which are perceptively violations of the model code of conduct, but apart from outbursts in social media, there is not much legal activity to challenge them.  A political observer, keeping a tab on the DSGMC election scene, on condition of anonymity said, “The AAP party is preparing to fight the Badal Dal in Punjab, but in Delhi seems to be doing everything to support the Badal Dal in the DSGMC election through acts of omission and commission.” 

Though the current positivity rate in Delhi is far from dangerous, the mentioning of Delhi Health Minister in an online meet with ASSOCHAM -Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry that the Delhi government would not hesitate to impose a lockdown should the positivity rate touch 5, raises a cause for concern for candidates, who have so far restricted much of their campaigning to social media.  No Sikh candidate, no social and religious welfare group has sought clarifications from the Delhi Health Minister as to what could be the scenario on Rakhsha Bandhan day.

The quagmire of the Delhi Sikh religio-political scene desperately seeks an end to the long-drawn DSGMC election crisis.