Having a sizable number of followers in Punjab and some other parts of the country, the Radha Soami sect Beas has asked its devotees to vote as they see fit in the ensuing Assembly elections in five states.

Polls are being held in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur in seven phases between February 10 and March 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

As per the sources, the circular issued from the Dera Beas headquarters, headed by Gurinder Singh Dhillon, to all Radha Soami Satsang centres across the nation says that the sect has “respect for all political parties as all are equal for us.”

“To cast a vote is the personal right of each individual. So, here we all should exercise our voting right after the application of mind and keeping in view the wellbeing of the entire society,” said the circular.

Earlier also, the sect has refrained from asking its followers to exercise their vote in favour of any particular party.

Meanwhile, sources said that Dhillon is going abroad in a couple of days and is expected to return after a few weeks.

Dera Radha Soami, also known as Dera Baba Jaimal Singh, is situated in Beas town — nearly 45 kilometres from Amritsar city. It has a number of followers in Punjab, Haryana and many other states and is usually visited by political leaders before elections. Ahead of 2017 state assembly polls, Congress national vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal had also met the Radha Soami sect chief at Beas. Earlier, BJP veteran leader LK Advani had also visited Beas in 2014 and attended the morning discourse of the sect head.