Gurmeet in jail but Dera can still play kingmaker in Sirsa

SIRSA: He might be behind bars, but the shadow of the colourful and controversial figure who goes by the moniker Sant Dr Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan looms large on the Sirsa constituency in this Lok Sabha elections. The leader of the Dera Sacha Sauda cult and his roughly 1.5 lakh followers in this seat hold enough votes to play kingmaker. Their support can make or break a party’s chances.
On April 29, thousands of followers of the group visited their headquarters on the occasion of its foundation day.Dera officials claimed the number of visitors was in the lakhs. The show of strength that choked the city’s roads came as a timely reminder for political parties of the influence the group still holds among its followers.
The Congress candidate, Ashok Tanwar, was one of visitors at the Dera that day. According to sources, the party is hopeful of gaining support from the Dera. “They have assured us of their support, even though there is no official announcement yet,” said a party member requesting anonymity.
It is not just Tanwar who has reached out to the community. Other parties, such as INLD and BJP, have also sought their support. In the 2014 elections, the Dera had supported BJP in the state. By 2017, though, it had extended its support to Congress in the assembly elections in neighbouring Punjab.
Many people TOI spoke to in Sirsa said there is resentment against BJP among Dera followers as they hold the party responsible for their spiritual leader’s conviction. Dera never had good ties with INLD, leaving them with Congress as the only option to support this year. However, Dera officials refused to comment on their intent, saying they haven’t decided yet whom to support.
Ram Singh, chairman of the Dera’s political wing, said, “We’re meeting later this week where we’ll decide which party to support.” He added once a candidate or party has been selected, most Dera followers will vote for that candidate. “We first talk to our followers to understand which candidate they feel can help them in our charity and other projects. The responses are collated to decide which party or candidate to support. Many political leaders have visited the Dera in the run-up to the elections, some of whom came only for spiritual reasons,” said Singh.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim is currently serving 20 years in Rohtak jail in the Chhatrapal murder case and 20 years for raping sadhvis at the Dera. Followers are hopeful a change in government might reunite them with their leader.