Over 45 per cent voting in DSGMC polls

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) polls held today witnessed a low turnout of 45.77 per cent.
The Sikh community in the national capital voted between 8 AM - 5 PM to elect members to the body, the responsibilities of which include managing the historical Gurdwaras in the city and few educational and social institutions.
"Around 1,75,543 members of the community, which numbers around 8 lakh in the capital, voted. The polling percentages among the male and female were 45.61 and 45.92 respectively," said a functionary of the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections.
Around 3.8 lakh members of the community were eligible to vote.

Polls to the body, headquartered in Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib here, are held every four years. The 2013 polls had recorded 43.4 per cent voting.
There were a total of 46 wards and around 560 polling stations including, 119 sensitive and 63 hyper sensitive polling stations throughout Delhi.

Voting was conducted peacefully under the gaze of around 8,000 police personnel, the official said. It was conducted by around 3,000 polling officials.
"The highest turnout was recorded at 65.98 per cent at ward number 7 of Tri Nagar whereas the ward number 26 at Sant Garh recorded the lowest at 26.14," the official added.

While Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) led by Manjinder Singh Sirsa hopes to return to power, the main opposition Akali Dal (Delhi) wants to wrest control of the cash-rich body, the annual budget of which comes around Rs 100 crore.
The counting of votes will take place on March 1 at five designated locations.
"All the polling material has been safely placed in different strongrooms under CCTV surveillance and police deployment for ensuring its safe custody including that of ballot boxes has been made," the directorate of the Gurdwara said in a statement.