Amritsar, Nov. 4 -- Harjinder Singh Dhami, 69, was re-elected Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president for the fifth consecutive time during the annual elections held in Amritsar on Monday. The elections were held during the SGPC general house meeting at Teja Singh Samundri Hall in the Golden Temple complex. Dhami, the nominee of the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal, got 117 of the 136 votes polled, while his opponent, Mitthu Singh Kahneke of the breakaway SAD faction, led by Giani Harpreet Singh, managed to get 18 votes. One vote was declared invalid. The other office-bearers and 11 executive committee members were elected unanimously. The office-bearers are Raghujit Singh Virk, senior vice-president, Baldev Singh Kalyan, junior vice-president, and Sher Singh Mandwala, general secretary. The executive committee members are: Surjit Singh Garhi, Surjit Singh Tugalwala, Surjit Singh Kang, Gurpreet Singh Jhabbar, Diljeet Singh Bhindar, Bibi Harjinder Kaur, Baldev Singh Kaimpuri, Major Singh Dhillon, Mangwinder Singh Khaparkhedi, Jungbahadur Singh Rai, and Mitthu Singh Kahneke. Dhami, who has been serving as president since 2021, said that the renewed trust placed in him by the party leadership is a matter of pride, but it also increases his sense of responsibility. Dhami's name was proposed by former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, while that of Kahneke by member Surinder Singh Bhulewal Rathan. Following this, voting with secret ballot papers was held in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib and Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj. In the 2024 polls, Dhami defeated his rival and three-time SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur by 74 votes. Expressing gratitude to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, the party leadership, and SGPC members for their continued trust, Dhami said he would remain committed to Panthic causes with a spirit of dedication. Outlining future priorities, Dhami said that, along with religious preaching, special attention will also be given to human welfare activities. "Reforms would be introduced in the rules of competitive examination training centres run by the SGPC and that their scope would be further expanded," Dhami said, adding that while SGPC schools and colleges already offer preparatory courses for NDA, the organisation also plans to expand the academy at Bahadurgarh to enhance training infrastructure. In one of the resolutions passed on the occasion, the SGPC demanded that the Centre, in commemoration of the 350th year of Guru Teg Bahadur's martyrdom, announce the release of all Sikh prisoners, while another condemned the decision to restructure the senate and syndicate of Panjab University. The SGPC house also demanded that the Union government express regret in Parliament for the anti-Sikh riots in November 1984 and declare it "genocide". Sukhbir described Dhami's re-election as a victory of the Khalsa Panth over central forces. Leaders of SAD (Amritsar) held a demonstration outside the SGPC office to protest against the election process....