Chandigarh : The Haryana-based Dera Sacha Sauda Monday announced it was extending political support to the Bharatiya Janata Party for Wednesday’s assembly elections in the state.
“It was the unanimous sentiment of the sangat (congregation) to support the BJP,” Dera spokesman Aditya Insan said.
The sect based near Sirsa town has over six million followers in the state.
Dera officials said that the sect head, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, had himself not told the sect followers to support any party but the followers had “unanimously” decided to support the BJP.
The sect, which has been involved in controversies in the past, is frequented by top leaders from all parties in Haryana and Punjab as it wields considerable influence on its followers.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his rally in Sirsa last week, had praised the sect chief.
The sect chief is facing cases of alleged rape and murder conspiracy in courts.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is not contesting the Haryana assembly polls, Monday complained to the Election Commission against the move by the Dera to extend support to the BJP. The AAP said that the move was undemocratic.
Leaders of the newly created Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) Monday announced that the Sikh community in Haryana will support the Congress in the assembly polls.
HSGPC general secretary Joga Singh told IANS that the Sikh community in Haryana was “indebted to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda” for the creation of the separate HSGPC and would support the Congress.
“The Hooda government fulfilled a long-standing demand of the Haryana Sikh community for a separate HSGPC. We will all support the Congress,” he said.