SGPC general elections in limbo as chief election commissioner retires

Delay deepens over vacancy at top of Gurdwara commission

Chandigarh, August 10, 2025 (Bharat Khabarnama Bureau) – The long-awaited elections for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) face yet another setback. Justice (Retd.) S. S. Saron, Chief Commissioner of Gurdwara Elections, retired on June 30 after reaching the age limit of 70, as mandated by the Sikh Gurdwaras Act. Although a proposal was submitted to the Centre seeking an extension to complete voter registration process but it was not approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the electoral machinery is at a standstill. This pause not only disrupts the already delayed process of voter registration but also extends the period during which the current SGPC leadership governs without fresh public mandate.

In light of this vacancy, the Home Ministry has now invited fresh applications from retired high court judges to fill the post, a process expected to take two to three months, according to standard protocol involving a search committee and clearance from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.  The absence of a Chief Commissioner has effectively brought the SGPC electoral process to a halt, as he is vital for finalizing voter rolls, issuing the election notification, and overseeing polling.  

Historically, the SGPC elections have been viewed as the Panth’s democratic process for deciding the management of key Sikh Gurdwaras, Takhats, educational institutions and other religious works. The SGPC, formed under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, is not merely an administrative body, it is the central custodian of Sikh heritage, Maryada, and Gurudwaras’ management in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh. 

This delay is particularly critical because SGPC elections have not been held since 2011. Mentionably, a new committee was formed in 2016 after legal battles over the deletion of Sehajdhari Sikh voters were resolved by the Supreme Court however, this committee’s term should have ended by 2021. It is now 2025, and still no election has taken place. The absence of electoral accountability also leaves space for political interference in Sikh religious institutions, an issue that has previously caused friction between the Panth and ruling governments.

Notably, following the creation of a separate Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee in 2014, the Gurdwara Election Commission had begun compiling voter lists for SGPC elections only for Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. Afterwards, Gurdwara elections for Haryana’s 11 SGPC seats were suspended as the new committee structured its own voter lists. 

The Sikh Panth now awaits two urgent actions: swift appointment of a new Chief Commissioner of Gurdwara Elections, and a clear, time-bound roadmap for voter list completion and election notification. Without these, Sikh representation in the SGPC risks being viewed as outdated, unmandated, and vulnerable to state overreach.