Founded in 1948 by Shah Mastana Balochistani, Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda of Gurmeet Ram Rahim - now convicted for raping two sadhvis - has followers in several states including Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. The followers of Ram Rahim are mainly Dalits but he has sizeable support base among Sikhs, Muslims and Christians in Haryana and Punjab.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim has always claimed to be apolitical, but his Dera Sacha Sauda launched its political affairs wing (PAW) in 2007. It was the same year when there were massive protests against Ram Rahim in Punjab after his photographs showed him in dress resembling Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru. The PAW was meant to "advise" his followers on which candidate or party to vote for in the elections.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim is said to be boastful of his clout to influence the outcome of the polls in Haryana and Punjab. He claims to have about five crore followers, most of them in Haryana and Punjab.

2014 ELECTIONS AND RAM RAHIM

Ram Rahim had remained a rather unknown political force till 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP sought support of the Dera Sacha Sauda. Ram Rahim announced his support for the BJP. He was, in turn, praised by the then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would again praise Ram Rahim when the latter supported the Clean India campaign and was seen holding broom with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Ahead of Haryana Assembly elections, the BJP in-charge of the state Kailash Vijayvargiya took as many as 44 candidates to the Dera Sacha Sauda seeking "blessings" of Ram Rahim. Support of Ram Rahim augured well for the BJP in both the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Haryana. The BJP formed government in Haryana.

However, Ram Rahim's "blessings" to the BJP did not win it the Delhi Assembly elections in 2015.

RAM RAHIM AND CONGRESS

Ram Rahim has four children - daughters Amanpreet Kaur, Charanpreet Kaur and Honeypreet Kaur, and son Jasmeet Singh. Honeypreet is his adopted daughter. She was the one who accompanied him till Rohtak guest house after Ram Rahim was convicted by a CBI court in Panchkula.

Jasmeet is married to the daughter of senior Congress leader Harminder Singh Jassi, who is a former Punjab MLA. He lost to Aam Aadmi Party candidate Jagdev Singh in this year's Assembly election from Maur constituency in Bathinda.

In 2007, Ram Rahim had extended support to the Congress as he felt that the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government of the time had targeted his followers in the state. But, the Congress lost the elections.

Ram Rahim did not announce support for any political party in 2012. He asked his supporters to vote for some candidates on "merit". Ahead of this year's Punjab election, both the BJP and Congress approached Ram Rahim for support. Ram Rahim supported the BJP in the last Punjab Assembly election. The BJP lost.

BJP MINISTERS DONATING MONEY TO RAM RAHIM

Though, the "blessings" of Ram Rahim has not worked for the BJP since 2014 Haryana Assembly elections, the party leaders have not lost any love for the Dera chief. At least three Haryana ministers have given him Rs 1.12 crore collectively since August last year.

Just 10 days before the verdict was pronounced by the Panchkula CBI court convicting Ram Rahim of raping two sadhvis at his Dera, powerful Haryana minister Ram Vilas Sharma paid visit to Ram Rahim on August 15 - the birthday of Dera chief.

Haryana Education Minister Ram Vilas Sharma donated Rs 51 lakh from his ministry's discretionary quota 'to promote sports' in the Dera. Ram Vilas Sharma was also the guest at the Dera Sacha Sauda on August 15 to celebrate Ram Rahim's birthday.

Exactly a year ago, another influential Haryana minister Anil Vij had donated Rs 50 lakh out of his discretionary quota for "encouraging games" in Dera. "I could not give more than Rs 50 lakh out of discretionary fund. Had it been possible, I would have given more," Anil Vij had been quoted by media then as saying.

Later, Rohtak MLA and Minister of State for Urban Local Bodies in Haryana Manish Grover made a donation of Rs 11 lakh from his discretionary fund to the Dera Sacha Sauda of Ram Rahim.

The fact that Gurmeet Ram Rahim was provided Z-plus security cover long before the BJP came in power at the Centre and Haryana is statement of the political clout of the rape convict Dera chief.

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