Shimla: Politicians making a beeline to meet religious leaders ahead of elections is a common sight in the country and Himachal Pradesh is no exception. Heavyweight political leaders including Chief Minister Jairam Thakur have already started meeting the heads of religious deras ( camps) with the Assembly elections likely to be held later this year.
Like Punjab and Haryana organizations such as Radha Soami Dera Beas, Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa and Nirankari Mission command a large number of followers in the state. Radhaswami Satsang Beas has the largest number of followers.
It owns huge satsang bhavans of Dera Beas at Parour in Kangra district, Rabaun of Solan, US Club of Shimla and at Bhota in Hamirpur. Similarly, Dera Sacha Sauda has a big camp in Chachiyan of Palampur. Nirankari Mission also has satsang bhavans in places such as Shimla and Mandi in Himachal. Lakhs of followers visit the deras frequently.
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During the last Assembly election in 2017 also Himachal BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti met the head of Dera Beas along with the prominent leaders of his party. Union Minister Anurag Thakur also met the religious leaders. Political leaders including the Chief Minister also visit Baba Lal Ashram, and Dera Baba Rudranand in the Una district.
It's not just BJP leaders but heavyweight Congress leaders in Himachal who also seek to remain in the good book of religious leaders ahead of elections. The then Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh also met the religious leaders of Dera Beas in Solan in 2017.
Pointing out that the main purpose of political leaders in visiting the deras is to gain the support of their large number of followers, senior journalists and political observers said that despite their reverence for the religious leaders of Deras the voters in Himachal Pradesh go more by their discretion than their religious sentiments. " The voters of Himachal are politically conscious and will themselves decide whom to vote for, he said.
