Bhagwant Mann sets ball rolling for SGPC polls, says Punjab govt will begin to prepare electoral rolls from Oct 21

Justice Saron had said the process is getting delayed and all deputy commissioners should prepare the list as soon as possible.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mann Wednesday said more details will follow soon.

ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਗੁਰੂਦਵਾਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਲੰਬੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਤੋਂ ਉਡੀਕੀਆਂ ਜਾ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਚੋਣਾਂ ਦੇ ਸੰਬੰਧ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਹਿਮ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ.. 21 ਅਕਤੂਬਰ 2023 ਤੋਂ ਨਵੀਆਂ ਵੋਟਾਂ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਅਤੇ ਵੋਟਰ ਸੂਚੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਸੁਧਾਈ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਕਿਰਿਆ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਹੋਵੇਗੀ..ਬਾਕੀ ਵੇਰਵੇ ਜਲਦੀ..

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) October 4, 2023

Mann’s confirmation came almost four months after Gurdwara Elections Chief Commissioner Justice S S Saron on May 25 wrote a letter to the chief secretary, asking the government to prepare the electoral rolls.

Notably, Sikhs above 21 years of age are eligible to be enrolled as voters. Those who trim their beard and hair, smoke or consume tobacco are barred from voting.

The SGPC election holds significance in Sikh politics and last time it was conducted in 2011 when the former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal had won a majority of the seats. Now, the Akalis have been pushed to the fringes in Punjab.