Just three days before the Haryana Assembly elections, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, was released from Sunaria jail in Rohtak on Wednesday after being granted parole by the ruling BJP-led government. Ram Rahim will spend his 20-day parole period at his ashram in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. This follows a previous 21-day furlough granted to him in August, which concluded on September 2.

In 2017, Ram Rahim was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping two of his followers at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. Since his conviction, he has been released on parole or furlough at least 11 times, amounting to over 275 days spent outside of jail by the time this current parole ends.

Ram Rahim’s releases have often coincided with elections in Haryana, as well as in Punjab and Rajasthan, where many of his followers reside.

In 2022, he was granted a 21-day furlough just before the Punjab Assembly elections, during which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured a significant victory with 92 seats. His subsequent release on a 30-day parole in June coincided with municipal elections in Haryana, where BJP-backed candidates achieved considerable success.

In the lead-up to the Adampur bypolls in 2022, Ram Rahim was again released on parole, which aided BJP candidate Bhavya Bishnoi in winning the seat. His release in July and August 2023 aligned with the Haryana panchayat elections, where many BJP-supported candidates emerged victorious. Ram Rahim was also let out during the Rajasthan Assembly elections in late 2023, contributing to the BJP’s significant win there.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Dera publicly endorsed the BJP in Haryana, helping the party secure seven out of ten seats. The Dera’s support continued in the subsequent Haryana Assembly elections, leading to a historic win for the BJP. However, following Ram Rahim’s conviction, the Dera withdrew its support in the 2019 elections, where the BJP still managed to form a coalition government despite not achieving a simple majority.

Earlier this year, Ram Rahim was released from prison from January 19 to March 10, coinciding with local elections where the Congress won the Sirsa seat by a significant margin.

As the upcoming Assembly elections approach, the Dera has not yet declared its support for any party. The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) recently appealed to the Election Commission to oppose his parole, arguing it violates the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The state’s chief electoral officer has imposed restrictions on Ram Rahim’s parole, including a ban on his entry into Haryana and engaging in political activities.

Despite concerns regarding his frequent paroles, prison officials assert that Ram Rahim has not received any special treatment, and his releases comply with the regulations governing temporary release for convicts. The Haryana government reported that, in 2023, a total of 2,801 prisoners were granted temporary release, with Ram Rahim among those exercising their right under established procedures.

Former Haryana jail minister Ranjit Singh Chautala, now a BJP rebel contesting as an Independent, along with CM Nayab Singh Saini and ex-CM Manohar Lal Khattar, have consistently supported Ram Rahim’s paroles, emphasizing that all procedures were followed.

As the election nears, the implications of Ram Rahim’s paroles on voter dynamics and party strategies in Haryana remain a topic of considerable interest.