In a shot in the arm for the BJP ahead of Wednesday’s Assembly polls, the political wing of the Sirsa-based sect Dera Sacha Sauda on Monday decided to extend support to the party. The Dera has considerable influence in the region and its support is known to have affected voting pattern.
The decision was taken after a marathon three-day meeting of the Dera’s 15-member political wing, after which the decision was made to extend support to the BJP, two members of the wing, Kastoor and Rakesh said. The party has also decided to extend support to the BJP in Maharashtra.
“We will extend support to the BJP candidates in Haryana on all the 90 Assembly seats. We have considerable following pan-India and we have also decided to extend support to the BJP in Maharashtra,” Kastoor said.
He said the decision has been taken after taking into consideration feedback from the “Saadh Sangat”, which has representatives at village and block level, into account. Kastoor, however, maintained that Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was not involved in the decision on extending support and the final decision had been taken “collectively” by the political wing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed an election rally at Sirsa, considered the stronghold of the Chautalas, on Saturday. The ground for this ‘support’ was started when the Dera chief - who claims to have more than 5.2 crore followers across the world and the following of several lakhs in Haryana in 45 Assembly constituencies across the State, had praised Modi’s recently-launched ‘Swachchh Bharat Mission’ on a blood donation camp. About Modi, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh said that “What he has done is remarkable and I am just a fakir and he has my blessings”.
Modi in his speech at Sirsa rally on Saturday, had showered praise on Dera sect and had said “Mein guru maharaj Ram Singhji Mastanji ke Sacha Sauda ko pranam karta hun (I salute Ram Singhji, Mastanji’s Sacha Sauda).” Modi had also remembered when he was in charge of BJP for Haryana affairs in 1995 and had got the chance to ‘salute’ the Dera chief earlier as well there.