Acknowledging the significant influence of deras over the electorate, all political parties are eyeing for the support of about dozen such deras in Punjab. With the Assembly elections due in February there is a beeline of leaders outside the gates of these deras (sects).
Out of all the deras, Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, headed by controversial Godman Ram Rahim Singh, who is facing murder and rape charges, is the most influential. With around five lakh followers in Punjab this dera could tilt the balance in many seats of southern Punjab like Bathinda, Sangrur, Patiala and Ferozerpur.
During the last Assembly elections in 2007, the Shriomani Akali Dal faced the wrath of Dera Sacha Sauda, when its follower voted for the Congress and the SAD suffered major setback by losing many seats in its traditional stronghold of Malwa region. Later, the SAD rectified its mistake by ensuring covert support of the dera before fielding Harsimrat Kaur, wife of deputy CM Sukhbir Badal, in 2009 parliamentary elections. She won by a margin of more then one lakh votes. She defeated former chief minister Amarinder Singh’s son Raninder Singh.
Many state leaders have visited this dera in the last one month, latest to jump on the bandwagon is Sanja Morcha leader Manpreet Badal, who is terming his recent visit to the dera as a usual visit, “I discussed issues such as corruption, drug addiction and unemployment with dera representatives.”
The Doaba region of the state, which has very high dalit population, is the area where many other deras are present and they wield significant influence over their followers.
Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal is trying to reach out to the Ravidassia community, one of the biggest dalit communities in the state, through Dera Baba Jaure. Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal held a meeting with the head of the dera, Baba Nirmal Das, early this month. The powerful sect of Namdharis, believed to be close to the Congress, is being wooed by the main political parties of the state. Mr Parkash Singh Badal was sending strong political overtures when he visited headquarters at Bahini Sahib last month. The visit was immediately followed by the visit of the Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh’. Similarly, the SAD and Congress are trying to woo another powerful sect, the Radhasami sect, which has huge number of followers. The Dera head, Baba Gurinder Singh, surprised everyone when he held a discourse at Dera Baba Jaure.