Senior SAD leader Bibi Jagir Kaur was elected president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for the fourth time at an annual general House meeting held here today. She succeeds Gobind Singh Longowal.

A day earlier, members owing allegiance to the SAD had entrusted all rights to party president Sukhbir Singh Badal to take a final call on their behalf.

Consequently, the voting process was adopted in which Jagir Kaur emerged as the winner with a convincing margin. She polled 122 of the total 143 votes.

She was first elected as SGPC president in 1999. In 2000, she was re-elected but during this term she resigned following the controversy in which she was accused of allegedly killing her daughter.

During her third tenure, she led the Sikh body from September 2004 to November 2005. She was acquitted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in December 2018.

Surjit Singh Bhittewad was elected as senior vice-president, Baba Buta Singh junior vice-president and Bhagwant Singh Sialka general secretary.

Jagir Kaur has proposed the name of Kahneke to be included in the 11-member executive.

About Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee

• The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (or SGPC) is an organization responsible for the management of gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in three states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh and union territory of Chandigarh.
• SGPC also administers Darbar Sahib in Amritsar.
• The SGPC is governed by the chief minister of Punjab.
• The SGPC manages the security, financial, facility maintenance and religious aspects of Gurdwaras as well as keeping archaeologically rare and sacred artifacts, including weapons, clothes, books and writings of the Sikh Gurus.
• Bibi Jagir Kaur became the first woman to be elected president of the SGPC for the second time in September 2004. She had held the same post from March 1999 to November 2000.
• The president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is elected by the Members of SGPC.
• The president holds powers to organise the meetings of SGPC and deal with matters related with issues of Sikh religion and oversees the managements of the Gurdwaras.
• Since 2008, the president also serves as Chancellor of Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University.
• In 1920 SGPC was established when Gurdwara Reform Movement was started. Sundar Singh Majithia was appointed first President of the committee.
• This post got legal status after the passing of Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 by legislation in British India. After passing of this act Baba Kharak Singh became the President.