Ram Rahim acquittal: Is it advantage BJP ahead of Haryana, Punjab elections?

The acquittal of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case on Saturday has come ahead of the urban local bodies poll in Haryana and the Assembly poll in Punjab next year. Though it is purely a court decision, it is likely to be an advantage for BJP since Dera followers have considerable sway in Haryana and Punjab.

Notably, Ram Rahim wields significant influence in border areas of Haryana and Punjab, including Sirsa, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Hisar, and several other districts across the state. BJP is aggressively attempting to make inroads in Punjab, and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has been tasked by the BJP top brass to lead this campaign.

Gurmeet, along with three others, was convicted in 2019 for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati in Sirsa in 2002. He is also serving a 20-year prison sentence handed down in 2017 for raping two of his disciples. So, despite the acquittal, he will continue to serve his sentence for the other convictions.

Following his conviction in the murder case, Singh was lodged in Sunaria Jail in Rohtak. The Dera chief’s parole or furlough, a legal right of any prisoner, has often sparked political debate due to their timing. Many of his paroles have come just before elections in Haryana or neighbouring states like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

In this context, his acquittal in the murder case is also being viewed through a political lens, coming ahead of the local bodies election likely to be held in April in Haryana, even as pre-poll activities in Punjab gain momentum. While no leader from any party is willing to comment on the impact of the acquittal, leaders have often questioned the timing of these releases ahead of elections in the past.

It may be pertinent to mention here that ahead of the 2024 Haryana Assembly election, the Congress wrote to the Election Commission, requesting an order to prevent the possible parole of Gurmeet Ram Rahim during the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct. Citing media reports that he might be granted parole ahead of the elections, the Congress noted in the letter that, as a religious leader with a large following, Ram Rahim could influence voters in the state.

Last time, Ram Rahim was released from Rohtak jail in January on a 40-day parole. This was for the 15th time since he was awarded the jail term by a special CBI court in August 2017. He was released on a 40-day parole in August 2025, which he reportedly took to celebrate his birthday. In addition to that parole, he was granted a 21-day furlough in April and a 30-day parole in January, ahead of the February 5 Delhi Assembly poll.

Similarly, he was allowed a 50-day furlough in January 2024, 21 days in August 2024, and a 20-day parole in October 2024 before the Haryana Assembly poll. The Dera head was released for a day for the first time in October 2020, then on a 12-hour parole in May 2021, both times to visit his ailing mother. He was later released for 21 days in February 2022, 30 days in June 2022, and 40 days in October 2022. Thereafter, he was released for 40 days in January 2023, 30 days in July 2023, and 21 days in November 2023.