Gopal Sharma
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, July 8: After a long gap of 13 years, District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DGPC) elections were peacefully held across the State with Sikh community members showing enthusiasm to elect their representatives for running the affairs of their religious places.
Except some disruption and protest by voters and supporters of a group for some time at Barnoti and Hatli Morh in Kathua, peaceful elections of District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committees (DGPCs) were held across the State today. The highlight of this elections was, the unopposed election of all the 11 candidates in district Poonch.
Jammu district having highest number of 90,676 Sikh voters remained the hub of polling activity today. Inspite of apprehensions of the administration, peaceful conduct of elections was witnessed here. The district having 11 segments recorded 49.15 % polling (with 44,564 voters) today which commenced at 8 am and concluded at 5 pm.
Returning Officer for District Jammu, Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Sher Singh told the Excelsior that out of the total 48, 11 candidates declared elected to DGPC Jammu are- Fateh Singh from Gadigarh, Harjinder Singh Raina from Digiana, Manmohan Singh from Nanak Nagar, Darbinder Singh from Gole Gujral, Mohinder Singh from Akhnoor, Mohinder Singh-II from Jammu West, Ramnik Singh from Jammu East, Jagjit Singh from R S Pura, Raja Singh from Darsopur, Kuldeep Singh from Kirpind and Avtar Singh from Bishnah.
Mr Singh further disclosed that out of the total 90,676 votes in the district, 44,564 were polled today. The number of male voters was 23,341 while females 21,223. The highest poll percentage of 69.76 % has been reported from Akhnoor segment, followed by 61 % in Gadigarh. Darsopur witnessed recorded 57.91 %, R S Pura 57.25 %, Bishnah 56.39 %, Kirpind 53.61 %, Gole Gujral/ Marh 52.43 %, Jammu West 43.79 %, Jammu East 40.20 %, Nanak Nagar 35.53 % and Digiana segment the lowest 30.41 %. Nanak Nagar segment has highest of 13,974 voters, Digiana 12,404 voters, Gadigarh 12,302 voters followed by Gole Gujral 8079.
He said that total 48 candidates were in fray and 127 polling booths had been set up for the poll process. The polling remained peaceful in all the 11 segments with the deployment of sufficient number of security force personnel.
The voters in Nanak Nagar, Talab Tillo and Digiana, however, alleged discrepancies in voter lists and alleged that the lists were not properly prepared by the authorities and in many lists there were no photographs pasted. It encouraged bogus voting.
In Poonch 11 candidates who were elected unopposed with the intervention of Dera Nangali Sahib included Surjit Singh, Rajinder Singh, Narender Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Ajit Singh, Waryam Singh, Surjan Singh, Ravinder Singh, Surinder Singh, Balbir Singh and Amar Singh. In Rajouri, DGPC election was held under the supervision of ADC Mumtaz who was acting as RO. Six candidates who were declared winner till this evening are- Raghubir Singh from Nonial, Amardeep Singh from Rajouri, Surjit Singh from Bathuni, Mohinder Singh from Rajpura Kalima, Ratan Singh from Qila Darhal and Tarlochan Singh from Jhangi Gangriot.
In Samba district, an over all 68.62 % polling of Gurdawara Parbandhak Committee elections was witnessed. Three candidates who were declared elected unopposed are- Bishan Singh from Rajpura, Karnail Singh from Samba and Jasbir Singh from Vijaypur. The others who emerged winners from Samba GPC are-Kulvinder Singh from Bari Brahmana, Gurdeep Singh from Swankha, M P Singh from Ramgarh, Niranjan Singh from Nandpur Jarnail Singh from Chak Slarian, Bidhan Singh Jr from Pandour and Jaswant Singh from Sapwal.
In District Kathua, members and supporters of a group sat on dharna at Hatli Morh at around 8 pm and started protest alleging that administration was favouring one candidate. The trouble started after candidates of two segments Kathua and Rajbagh scored same number of votes. The members of one group went on protest and blocked National Highway. The protest was going on till late evening while the District Administration said that the final result will be declared tomorrow. During the day, voters from Barnoti went on protest for about an hour and stalled poll process. They were demanded that they will go for polling only if the adequate water and power supply is ensured in the area. Later, Tehsildar and SDPO Border Diwakar Singh reached there and assured the agitating voters to take up the matter with the concerned authorities. Later polling was resumed.
In Udhampur, 76 % polling was recorded today. 14 candidates were in fray and four candidates were elected unopposed. RO, Rajeev Magotra said that there are 1345 voters in the district out of which 639 are female. A total 1026 voters exercised their franchise. A total seven polling stations had been set up in the entire district.
Sixty five members were elected to the Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (GPC) in Kashmir valley in the elections held after 13 years.
Barring district of Kulgam, Shopian, Kupwara and Ganderbal where Sikh population is negligent, 11 members were elected from each six districts of the Valley.
In Rangreth constituency of Budgam there were protested and Sikhs boycotted the polling over three different voter lists that were issued by the Government on the same day.
In district Budgam out of remaining 10 seats, elections were held only on one seat as on nine seats there was no contest. Similarly in Baramulla there was no contest on one seat and in Srinagar there was no contest in three seats.
The prominent among elected are Novtej Singh from Aloochi Bagh Srinagar, Dr Tara Singh and Jagdev Singh from Baramulla and Dr J S Shan from Qaimu in district Pulwama.
Expressing satisfaction over the peaceful conduct of the elections, All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said, it was heartening to note that community elected new faces, replacing the old body which had developed self-interest and were placing obstacles in the conduct of the elections over the past 13 years.
Meanwhile, according to election authorities Gurdawara Parbandhak Committee Anantnag candidates Krishan Singh and Jung Bahadur Singh have been declarwed elected from Chittisinghpura and Nowgam GPC constituency.
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