Mr Sirsa represented ShiromaniAkali Dal (Badal) in the elections held on Sunday and he lost by 525 votes fromHarvinder Singh Sarna, who represented the SAD (Delhi) faction.
Even though the Akali Dal won the polls of one of the country’stop Sikh bodies, Mr Sirsa’s defeat is going to be a setback for the Badalsahead of the 2022 Punjab polls. Mr Sirsa, 49, the party’s nationalspokesperson, has been the face of the Badals’ Akali Dal. He has been vocal onseveral key issues recently, including Afghanistan crisis and farmers’ protest.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, however, downplayed Mr Sirsa’sdefeat. “I want to thank the Delhi Sangat for the victory in 27 of 46 seats.There were attempts to divide the group. Yet we have got the opportunity toserve the Guru. We won under the leadership of Mr Sirsa. The party will nominatehim again in DSGMC from SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee),” hesaid today.
The SAD (Delhi) faction has won 15 of 46 seats.
“We feel humbled and blessed to win 27 seats out of 46 in DSGMCelections. This win is the victory of Delhi’s Sangat. We bow our head to thehonour bestowed upon Shiromani Akali Dal by the Sangat of Delhi (sic),” MrSirsa tweeted this afternoon.
On Tuesday, he wrote to HomeMinister Amit Shah – on behalf of the Sikh body – to provide citizenship tothose seeking refuge in India in a bid to escape the Taliban rule.
“Requesting @AmitShah ji & Govt of India for necc amendmentsin CAA to cover Sikhs+Hindus of Afghanistan who have taken refuge in 2020 &2021. India has taken a humanitarian step by supporting minorities of Afghanistan& it would be great to help them by granting Indian citizenship,” he wrotein a tweet.