The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Political leaders court Dera on poll eve
Leaders were seen attending the morning Naam Charcha
Balwant Garg/TNS

Faridkot, January 29
Because of the Dera Sacha Sauda's electoral influence in most assembly constituencies in the area and the dera followers ‘making or marring’ the fortune of the candidates, most political leaders and their supporters were seen attending the morning Naam Charcha, a weekly religious congregation at the dera's Satsang Bhawans, on Sunday, a day before the polling.

The Akal Takht, in its hukmanama, has forbidden the Sikhs from attending any Dera programme or any interaction with the dera followers, but today in the morning, Mohinder Singh Romana, president, Takht Patna Sahib, accompanied Deep Malhotra, the SAD (B) candidate from Faridkot to a Satsang Bhawan of the Dera Sacha Sauda at Golewala village.

After attending the religious congregation and listening to the discourse, Romana addressed the dera followers, saying he was highly impressed with the religious teachings of the dera.

"It is for the first time in my life that I got a chance to listen to these discourses," said Romana.

While visiting the Sacha Sauda Satsang Bhawan is a violation of the Akal Takht hukamnama but speaking to TNS, Romana said there was nothing wrong in his attending the Naam Charcha.

"I uttered no word against any individual or institution during my visit to the dera's Satsang Bhawan," he said.

About the motive for visiting the dera followers, Romana said, "I did not beg for votes for any candidate and it was just a courtesy call," he said.

Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Jathedar, Takht Damadama Sahib, declined to make any comment about Romana's visit.

Besides, Mohinder Singh Romana and Deep Malhotra, many other Akali and Congress candidates in the area were today seen visiting the senior members of Dera Sacha Sauda in Kotkapura, Jaitu and Faridkot assembly constituencies.

Earlier, these leaders made many visits to Sirsa to meet Dera Sauda Sauda head, Ram Rahim Gurmit Singh, seeking support assiduously.

The Dera has electoral influence in 35 assembly constituencies in the Malwa region, making its support vital for any political party.

About the Dera support to candidates contesting election, Gurbaj Singh, a member of the Dera's seven-member political advisory committee, said instead of supporting any particular party, "we have assessed our option in a block-by-block and constituency-wise manner for supporting the candidate. There is no unified decision to vote for a single party," said Gurbaj Singh.

It is believed that in almost every constituency of south-west Malwa region, Dera Sacha Sauda has significant strength. So, they can 'mar or make' the electoral prospects of the candidates in the election.

The dera vote is more important for the candidates where the victory margin in the last assembly election was less than 5000.

These constituencies include Bhadaur (victory margin was just 186 votes), Lehra (284 votes), Dirba (1153 votes), Moga (1292 votes), Barnala (1364 votes), Nihal Singhwala (1632 votes), Talwandi Sabo (2259 votes), Rampura Phul (2259 votes), Samana (2576 votes), Sutrana (2595 votes), Mansa (2748 votes) and Faridkot (2933 votes).

As the Dera's support is vital for every political party, so most candidates in the fray in these constituencies were uninhibited in visiting the dera and seeking its support.

Dera followers may alter poll calculations in Moga
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Moga, January 29
A congregation of the Dera Sacha Sauda, in which more than 300 devoted premis were present, was held on the outskirts of the Moga town on Sunday.

Sources in the dera revealed that they had decided to support the Congress candidates in the Dharamkot, Baghapurana and Nihalsinghwala constituencies. However, there were divergent views on the Moga constituency.

Although, the Congress MLA from Moga, who is considered close to former CM and PPCC president Amarinder Singh, claims that he has got the support of the dera followers but some of the premis with whom The Tribune interacted, said they were yet to decide on extending support to him.

The main point of view they held was that Jain had stakes in the liquor business. Therefore, as per the policies and programmes of the dera, they could not extend support to him.

At the same time, some of them said that during the tenure of the SAD candidate Paramdeep Singh Gill as the DGP of Punjab, criminal cases were registered against as many as 45 premis by the local police and they remained in judicial custody for many weeks.

Under such circumstances, no decision on support to either Jain or Gill had been taken by the dera followers till the filing of this news report.

Sources added that messages would be conveyed through telephone and SMS to the dera followers by their local leaders late on Sunday night or early on Monday morning regarding extending of support to a particular candidate in the Moga constituency.

Meanwhile, Congress candidates, Darshan Singh Brar (Baghapurana), Ajit Singh Shant (Nihalsinghwala) and Sukhjit Singh Kaka (Dharamkot), while talking to The Tribune, revealed that the delegations of premis met them separately and vowed to support them.

It may be mentioned that the PPCC president Captain Amarinder Singh held a meeting with Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect on Friday seeking support for the Congress.

Reportedly, there are more than 25 lakh devotees of the dera in the Malwa belt comprising 67 seats and they matter a lot in politics.

There are more than 7000 premis in the Nihalsinghwala, 8,500 in Baghapurana, 9000 in Moga and 3500 in Dharamkot constituencies of the Moga district.

Badals remain busy on poll eve
Archit Watts/TNS

Badal (Lambi), January 29
On the eve of polling day, when the Election Commission has imposed a ban on canvassing, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal remained busy in managing the affairs from inside his palatial house, where he had called a number of party workers.

An view of the CM’s residence at the Badal village in Lambi constituency on Sunday, where SAD workers kept coming throughout the day. A Tribune photograph

His younger brother Gurdas Singh Badal of the PPP and cousin Maheshinder Singh Badal of the Congress continued holding meetings at the houses of their relatives.

Visiting the village, it was found that a number of vehicles were parked outside the house of the Chief Minister, who was holding meetings of workers inside his house. A number of people, not only from the state but from the neighbouring states also came to meet their leader.

A former minister of Rajasthan, who had come to meet the CM said, “A number of people are sitting inside the house and Badal saab is making personal phone calls to the party leaders to take stock of the situation and motivate them.”

Till the evening, the situation remained the same but no one from the first family came to speak to the media outside their house.

However, the scene was altogether different at the houses of Gurdas Singh Badal and Maheshinder Singh Badal, as they were busy in holding meetings at their relatives’ houses in other villages.

The Congress candidate Maheshinder Singh Badal was not present at his residence. His election manager, Bhupinder Singh Dhillon, who was busy in sorting the polling agents' lists, said, “Mahesh ji is out to meet his relatives in villages.” Besides him, nearly five-six persons were present in the house and all were busy in weighing the picked cotton crop.

Further, at the house of the PPP candidate Gurdas Singh Badal, the scene was almost same. The main gate of his house was found bolted from the inside and a security guard stationed outside said, “There is no one inside, as Gurdas ji is visiting the villages.”

When contacted, a man close to Gurdas, said, “Gurdas ji is meeting his relatives in the villages, in the last leg of campaign.”

On the other hand, against the hype of a close contest between the Badal brothers, the village residents seemed to be least enthusiastic about the polling day on January 30, as there was no excitement among the village populace, except for a few leaders.

Satta rates on polls at its peak
Ex-DGP Gill a preferred choice in betting at Moga
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Moga, January 29
Elections are not only meant for the politicians to form the government but also for the thousands of people who try their luck to make money through ‘satta’, betting on the poll prospects of the political parties and the candidates.

Sources in the satta bazaar revealed that thousands of people have put in more than Rs 500 crore in betting on political parties and candidates through a kingpin of this illegal business based at Ludhiana.

In the past couple of days, the satta on Congress party has been pegged at Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,000 for Rs 10,000 while on SAD-BJP, it has been pegged at Rs 13,000 to Rs 16,000 for every Rs 10,000.

For example, a bet on the Congress party returning to power as per the rates of satta on Saturday could earn one Rs 5,000 for every Rs 10,000 put in the illegal market.

However, the insiders revealed that there is a lot of difference between betting in cricket and the elections.

The bookies who run the election satta are also patronised by the political parties to fluctuate the rates through their agents — high for a political party that promises to protect their illegal business after coming to power.

Not only this, the bookies also make money on individual candidates by using the skills of fabricating bets by spreading the message of ups and downs of rates twice or thrice on a daily basis.

For example, the satta on ex-DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill fluctuated between Rs 11,000 to Rs 16,000 for every Rs 10,000 and it has gradually increased in the last couple of days. Last evening, his rates in satta came at par with the sitting MLA Joginder Pal Jain of the Congress party.

Now, the onus lies on the Dera Sacha sauda support for this seat. Whichever way the Dera votes swing, that candidate would fetch higher rates. As per the insiders, more than Rs 50 crore has been put at stake on Gill and Jain’s poll prospects.

As the election fever catches up, the satta focus is on which candidate would win or lose by how many votes and finally which party would get how many seats. And the game doesn't end with the elections. It goes on till the counting of votes. The bookies keep changing the odds to balance the amount of money being put on contradictory options keeping a margin for themselves and their partners.

Liquor, money power at play in Moga
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Moga, January 29
Despite strict vigil by the district administration, there has allegedly been free flow of liquor and purchasing of votes, showcasing money power used by the influential candidates in the Moga district.

Even as the excise department has seized 22,070 litres of liquor and huge quantities of "lahan" and also managed to recover many tokens of liquor allegedly given by the poll managers of the Akali stalwart Jathedar Tota Singh in Fatehgarh Panchtoor village, people disclosed that liquor has been used to woo voters.

Furthermore, there have been reports of purchasing of votes by the influential candidates in Moga and Dharamkot. The rates from Rs 500 to Rs 2000 for one vote and Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per family of 5 to 10 members. During a round of Dalit colonies in Moga, Dharamkot and a few villages, people admitted on the condition of anonymity that they have been given money and liquor through their supporters.

Gurbir Singh, a resident of Tota Singh Wala village in Dharamkot constituency, confessed, "I have already made up my mind to vote for a credible leader and won't get lured by inducements."

There have also been reports that some influential NRIs have been camping in these two sensitive constituencies holding meetings with the people, donating money to local NGOs and social organizations and organizing medical camps. Sudarshan Sharma, an NRI, arrived from California last week and has donated money to various local organizations and issued advertisements to vote in favour of ex-DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill in many newspapers.

Kulwant Dhaliwal, settled in Manchester (UK), who is the Global Ambassador of Roko Cancer and enjoys friendly relations with Jathedar Tota Singh's family, has organized cancer camps at Gagra in Dharamkot constituency and also in the Nihalsinghwala constituency.