A power struggle between traditional and moderate Sikhs in Surrey, B.C., is coming to head Sunday as one of the largest temples in North America votes on new leadership.
One of the most contentious issues has been the use of furniture in the Guru Nanak temple's communal dining area, a place meant to promote equality.
Moderate Sikhs have controlled the temple for more than a decade, and favour the use of chairs and dining tables.
But a traditionalist Sikh Youth opposition group favours enforcing a religious edict that insists, in the name of equality, that all members dine on the floor.
Balwant Singh Gill, a moderate who served as president of the temple for 11 years, announced he was stepping down last month.
Harjinder Singh Cheema will represent the moderate slate in his stead, and Bikramjit Singh Sandhar will represent the traditionalist opposition.
Sandhar told CTV News that a 10,000-person membership boost this year may have given the Sikh Youth a majority.
"I'm very optimistic that we're going to win," Sandhar said. "Our community's looking to move forward."
Roughly 30,000 voters have registered in the election election.
In 1997, the ideological clash over furniture led to violence after a high priest called for the chairs to be forcibly removed from the temple.
Conflicts between traditional and moderate Sikhs reached a point where police were stationed at temples to keep the peace.
On Sunday, former president Gill expressed disappointment that the tables were again being contested.
"They built their own private temples, some of them, and we never interfered," Gill said. "It died down a few years ago. Now they brought it up again."
Though violent confrontations are not expected on Sunday, Surrey RCMP announced officers would monitor the vote.
Balloting takes place at Princess Margaret Secondary School until 8:00 p.m.
Results are expected by Sunday evening.
