Bibi Jagir Kaur was Wednesday replaced as Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president by Shiromani Akali Dal leader Avtar Singh Makkar.

Makkar, elected to the SGPC from Ludhiana, was unanmiously elected as the president by the General House of the SGPC at its meeting held at Teja Singh Samundri Hall in the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar [Images].

Makkar's name was proposed by former SAD minister Sucha Singh Langah and seconded by Jarnail Singh and Makhan Singh.

Makkar, a close confidant of SAD chief Prakash Singh Badal, had contested the last assembly polls on an SAD ticket from Ludhiana and lost.

Badal named Makkar after his party's political affairs committee and Akali Dal members of the SGPC authorised him to select the nominee to head the Shiromani Committee.

Makkar is the state vice president of the Akali Dal.

Makkar proved to be the dark horse edging out two former SGPC chiefs- Professor Kirpal Singh Baudngar and the old warhorse Jagdev Singh Talwandi, both of whom were in the race to succeed Bibi Jagir Kaur.