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Kirpal Singh Badungar, nominee of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Badal faction, for the post of president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, defeated his rival Santvir Singh Madoke by 23 votes.
Madoke had been nominated by the Sarb Hind SAD led by Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra, former SGPC president.
In a house of 175, one member, Bhagat Singh, remained absent while four members of the SAD, Amritsar, headed by Simranjit Singh Mann, abstained.
Twelve members who were allowed by the Punjab & Haryana high court to vote after their disqualification by the Sikh Judicial Commission also voted, but their ballots were sealed in a separate envelope.
Speaking to reporters later, the re-elected SGPC chief expressed satisfaction that the poll passed off peacefully despite the tension generated in the last couple of weeks.
He, however, admitted that his margin of victory had come down from last year, when he had secured 112 votes compared to 91 this time.
He warned the Sikhs against the dangerous game being played by the Punjab chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, who tried his level best to break the Badal camp.
Former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur, against whom a non-bailable warrant was issued recently for electricity theft, told rediff.com that the victory was an effective reply to the chief minister's 'misdeeds'.
"He tried his best to break us," she said, "he tormented our supporters, but eventually we have won the battle. I had 103 members with me yesterday and all 103, including 12 sealed ballots, have gone in our favour."
Tohra said that despite the fact that his party was not in power, it had put up a commendable fight.
Earlier, Mann said his party would not vote because the two groups locked in the contest were getting support from the Congress or the BJP. "A victory for either would mean victory for Sonia or Vajpayee. So we have decided to abstain."
EARLIER REPORTS: Stage set for SGPC election in Amritsar Pro-Badal SGPC members angry with officials Badal faction supports Badungar, Tohra group backs Madoke Badal man elected SGPC chief
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