By Black Press, Surrey Leader

Members of the Guru Nanak Sikh temple in Surrey have opted for change, voting in the Sikh Youth slate led by Bikramjit Singh Sandhar and voting out the group led by Harjinder Singh (“Thana”) Cheema that has controlled the second-largest gurdwara in North America (after the Ross Street Temple in Vancouver) for over a decade.

Results of the Sunday vote were posted online Monday morning showing 13,458 ballots were cast for Sikh Youth and 7,247 for the Cheema slate.

It was the second victory for the youth slate, who won last year only to see their win disputed in court.

In 2008, the newly elected board of directors appeared ready to revisit a bitter controversy over the use of chairs and tables in the communal dining area of the temple.

They said the temple would obey the religion's highest authorities who believe community meals should be consumed sitting on the floor to show humility and keep everyone on the same level.