The ruling BJP in Haryana came under direct attack from the opposition Congress and other parties on October 1, when jailed Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was granted a 20-day parole, just four days before the state went to assembly polls.
As Ram Rahim's 15th parole also coincided with an election, the BJP was accused of granting the parole to the rape and murder convict to secure his support. However, the election results showed that it wasn’t just the BJP that benefited, but also the Congress.
Out of the 28 assembly segments believed to be home to Dera followers, 15 were won by the Congress, 10 by the BJP, two by Indian National Lok Dal, and one by an Independent candidate.
In other words, the Congress secured 53.57 per cent, the BJP 35.71 per cent, INLD 7 per cent, and the Independent candidate 3.57 per cent of the votes in those constituencies. This may be one reason why most Haryana Congress leaders were not vocal about the parole.
Congress gained more than the BJP in terms of seats across these 28 assembly constituencies, spanning six Haryana districts: Fatehabad, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Karnal, and Hisar.
The Congress won in Fatehabad, Ratia, Tohana (which have the highest concentration of Dera followers), Kalayat, Kaithal, Shahabad, Thanesar, Pehowa, Kalanwali, Sirsa, Ellenabad, Adampur, Uklana, and Narnaund.
The BJP, meanwhile, won in Hansi, Barwala, Hisar, Nalwa, Asandh, Gharonda, Karnal, Indri, Nilokheri, Ladwa, and Pundri.
The INLD won in Dabwali and Rania, while Independent candidate Savitri Jindal won Hisar.
Dera's support for the BJP
Sources say that on October 3, the Dera Sacha Sauda chief directed Dera officials in Sirsa to vote for the BJP. Media reports claim this message was conveyed during a Satsang (congregation), where followers were instructed to bring at least five voters to the booth.
It remains unclear whether Gurmeet Ram Rahim hosted this Satsang virtually, as the Election Commission of India had banned him from canvassing or holding Satsangs online.
Dera sources estimate the sect’s follower base to be around 1.25 crore, with 21 of its 38 branches located in Haryana.
Political influence of Dera Sacha Sauda
Although a religious sect, Dera Sacha Sauda holds significant political sway, operating a political wing under the leadership of Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The sect has previously supported the Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP, and Congress.
In the 2007 Punjab Assembly elections, the Dera supported Congress.
In 2014, it backed the BJP in both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. In 2015, Dera openly supported the BJP in the Delhi and Bihar elections, with an estimated 3,000 followers campaigning for the party in Bihar.
The Dera’s political influence stems from its large lower-caste follower base, which includes a significant number of Dalits, such as Majhabi Sikhs (converted Sikhs).
Political analysts note that while upper-caste votes in Haryana are usually split between the Congress and BJP, lower-caste Dera followers tend to vote in line with the instructions from their leader.
