Dera flexes political muscle

Embroiled in controversies and court cases, the otherwise influential Dera Sacha Sauda, with branches all over the country, is set to enter the political arena.

With headquarters in Sirsa, Haryana, the Dera commands a large following in the state as well as in neighbouring Punjab and Rajasthan. According to its think tank, the Dera can influence electoral results in almost 30% of the seats in Haryana alone.

No wonder, the Dera dropped subtle hints to the ruling Congress in Haryana to give 30 of the 90 seats in the state to its followers. When the Congress did not heed the demand, at least 12 staunch Dera supporters jumped in the electoral fray as independents.

Confirming this, Pawan Insan, chief of the Dera’s political wing, told DNA on Sunday that there was no harm in Dera followers contesting elections as it was their democratic right.

“Though the Dera and its chief Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim are not actively involved in politics, the decision to enter the electoral fray is with the political wing. All Dera followers contesting polls in Haryana will get our support,” he said, adding, “If Dera followers feel they can do some good to society by entering politics, we see no harm in that.”