Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s relative Harminder Jassi joins BJP

Pradeep Sharma

Chandigarh, May 24

In the run-up to the elections in Punjab and Haryana, Harminder Singh Jassi, a former three-time MLA and a close relative of jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, joined the BJP in New Delhi yesterday.

A ‘message’ to followers

Though Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda has refrained from supporting any party in the Lok Sabha poll, sources said the joining of a close relative of the dera head would go a long way in giving the ‘right message’ to followers on the day when PM Narendra Modi addressed his maiden rally in Punjab.

Jassi, who joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said, “I have been observing his (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) policies for many years now. He has developed the country and improved India’s image all over the world. I joined the BJP after being inspired and impressed by the Prime Minister’s policies.”

Jassi’s entry into the BJP and his close ties with the dera (his daughter is married to the Dera chief’s son) are likely to give a fillip to the party in the twin states. Haryana will go to the polls tomorrow and Punjab on June 1.

Though the dera has refrained from supporting any political party in the Lok Sabha poll, sources said that the joining of a close relative of the dera head would go a long way in giving the ‘right message’ to the voters on the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his maiden rally in Punjab.

“Several senior leaders from all parties are joining the BJP. The joining of a senior Congress leader like Jassi will definitely give a boost to the party’s campaign in Punjab,” claimed Vineet Joshi, Punjab media head.

The dera is said to have influence in more than 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab and Haryana. Headquartered in Sirsa, the dera wields considerable influence over the electorate in at least the Sirsa and Hisar Lok Sabha seats.

However, in Punjab, it has a well-knit network having 84 branches, including the biggest one at Salabatpur in Bathinda. It is said that it wields considerable influence in eight Lok Sabha segments in the Malwa region — Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Anandpur Sahib, Sangrur and Ludhiana.