Sikh Collective exposes 287 disputed voters for Patna Sahib management polls
Scholars decry “calculated attempt” to dilute Sikhs authority
Chandigarh, January 24, 2026 (Bharat Khabarnama Bureau) – In a development that strikes at the very heart of Sikh religious self-governance, The Sikh Collective today revealed systemic and grave illegalities in the voter rolls for the management committee of Takhat Sri Harmandir ji, Patna Sahib, Bihar, one of the five supreme seats of Sikhs. The group has submitted formal representations demanding immediate corrective action.
A diligent, months-long investigation of the draft electoral rolls for the 2026 general elections for the Takhat Patna Sahib management Committee, uncovered 287 disputed voter entries out of 3,637 across three constituencies. These entries, the Collective asserts, point to the inclusion of individuals who are prima facie non-Sikhs in an election that, by its very legal and religious nature, is meant for Sikhs alone.
The disputed entries have been categorized into three groups : voters with blatantly non-Sikh names for themselves and their parents or spouses, voters who appear non-Sikh but are tenuously linked to a Sikh surname (like ‘Singh’) through a relative and illegible or unverifiable entries.
“This is not a minor clerical error. It is a fundamental breach,” said Convener Jagmohan Singh. “Takhat Sri Harmandir ji, Patna Sahib is a global spiritual centre for Sikhs. While its doors are open to everyone for prayer and solace, the right to vote determines who controls our sacred institutions, properties, and religious affairs. At the most basic level, non-Sikhs are not and cannot be eligible voters in a Sikh Gurdwara election. This principle is non-negotiable.”
The Sikh Collective has called upon the Bihar State Election Authority (BSEA) to exercise its supervisory power to purge the electoral rolls of these illegal entries before finalisation and publication. They have also urged the Principal District and Sessions Judge of Patna, in his capacity, to ensure that judicial recognition is not granted to a committee formed through a process “tainted by foundational illegality.” It has also urged the authority to instruct the Takhat management committee to identify, rectify and purge the defects in voter rolls.
The group emphasized it is working for transparency and reform in all statutory gurdwara committees. “We stand for the rule of law and the protection of our religious institutions from managed interference,” Jagmohan Singh stated. “This is about preserving the sacred trust of the Guru for Sikhs worldwide.”
The revelation has drawn sharp condemnation from Sikh scholars and religious leaders. Terming it a violation of Sikh tenets Advocate Harjeet Singh Grewal labeled the inclusion of non-Sikh voters as a “wrong and dangerous precedent, a mischievous exercise to remain in power and a calculated attempt to involve non-Sikhs in the management of sacred Gurdwaras and Takhat Sahib.” He has appealed to Jathedar Singh Sahib of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, to intervene in the matter, saying that such steps endanger the self-administration system and religious autonomy of the Sikh community.
