Dera no longer the game changer?

Many top leaders who matter in the state politics,including Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda,did not visit the sect,which is the standard practice around the elections. There was little concerted effort by any political party to cozy up with the sect in the run up to the elections,though certain leaders at an individual level did make attempts to keep followers of the sect in good humour.

This is also the first election when certain sect followers sensed an opportunity to accomplish their political ambition by seeking tickets ‘in the name of the Dera’,only to be rubbished by the political parties. The Haryana BJP has minced no words in keeping the Dera at an arm’s length. Its state president Krishan Pal Gujjar had earlier said,”We believe that a religious sect should not interfere in political matters. It hurts emotions of the people. It puts a question mark on the credibility of the sect.” That the Congress claims to be close to the sect is well known.

While the sect has always denied involvement in political affairs,an integral part of the sect,its political wing,carries out an elaborate exercise in the run up to every election to decide on which party or individual to support. This time at the end of the exercise,which involved sending questionnaires to thousands of followers,the political wing’s announcement was on expected lines. Sources said a “divided” opinion,based on the response given in the questionnaire left its political wing with little choice but to ask the followers to vote according to “their conscience”.

Denial apart,the manifested disconnect between the sect and political parties comes as a shot in the arm for the ruling Akali Dal in Punjab. The Akali Dal has been critical of deras like the Sacha Sauda attempting to meddle in political affairs. Member of the Political Affairs Committee of the sect,Ram Pal,told The Indian Express,“Some of the followers asked for party tickets,but the sect has no role in this. The political wing is an independent body which decides on support to parties or individuals in the elections.”