Punjab Election 2022: Ram Rahim out of jail amid polls - How Deras impact Punjab politics

Just days before the Punjab Assembly elections, Dera Sacha Sauda head and self-styled religious guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been released on furlough for three weeks.

Ram Rahim has been serving a life term in Haryana's Sunaria Jail since 2017 after being convicted for the murder of a journalist and rape of his two disciples.

Ram Rahim's furlough amid election campaign cannot be seen as detached from politics in the state given the influence Deras hold on the state voters.

Punjab parties have questioned Dera chief's release and have accused the BJP of using him to swing his followers' votes.

The religious Sikh body SGPC has also criticised the decision to grant the Dera chief a furlough, alleging that the move was politically motivated.

It's no secret in Punjab that Deras have in past dictated their followers voting choices.

The influential Deras in Punjab include:

• Dera Sacha Sauda
• Radha Swami Satsang
• Dera Noormahal
• Dera Nirankari
• Dera Sachkhand Ballan
• Dera Namdhari

Dera followers are mostly Dalits, who form 32% of the electorate, thus a big catchment area for all parties.

Deras have immense influence in over 50 of 117 Punjab seats.

Experts say Deras have vast followings in Punjab's Malwa region, which accounts for 69 of 117 state seats.

Deras have an influence in at least 27 of these seats.

These include Muktsar, Bathinda, Mansa, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Barnala, Sangrur, Moga, Patiala and Ludhiana.

In the other two regions - Majha and Doaba - Deras have influence in Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Phagwara, Tarn Taran and Amritsar.

If we break up the influence of individual Deras,

Dera Sacha Sauda has influence in 27 seats,

Radha Swami Satsang holds sway in 19 consistencies,
Dera Sachkhand Ballan, and Dera Noormahal in eight seats each, Sant Nirankari Mission in four and Dera Namdhari Sect in two Assembly constituencies.

It is this influence that attracts politicians to Deras, come elections.

AAP's Arvind Kejriwal started Punjab campaign with a visit to Dera Sachkhand on Jan 1

A day earlier Akali Dal leader Harsimrat was seen at the same Dera

And before her, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi had also visited Dera Sachkhand

Of all the Deras, Ram Rahim's Dera Sacha Sauda is the only one that has in the past openly called on its lakhs of followers to vote for a particular party.

In 2002, Dera Sacha Sauda endorsed Captain Amarinder and Congress won the polls.

In 2007, Ram Rahim again asked its followers to vote for Congress. But Akali-BJP combine won, which led to souring of the Akali-Dera relations.

Before 2012 polls: Amarinder Singh met Gurmeet Ram Rahim again, but Dera didn't support any party openly

2017: Dera refrained from open support to any party, but endorsed individual candidate.

And not just in Punjab, Dera Sacha Sauda also threw its weight behind the BJP in 2014 Assembly elections.