Dera Sacha Sauda's writ runs large in Malwa

"Baba Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim is the real jarnail of Malwa, and he will decide who is going to win from here," insists Raghuvir Singh, the man in-charge of Dera Sacha Sauda in Punjab's Badal village, home to CM Parkash Singh Badal. The village falls in Lambi constituency represented by the veteran Akali, and Singh insists even Badal needs to be careful of the Dera's wishes.

"It was the call by Babaji to vote for Congress in 2007 which ensured that even Badal sahib's victory margin from Lambi came down to 9,000. We are waiting for Babaji's instructions," he says with an air of suspense.

He claims the controversial godman, who has faced rape and murder cases, has over 10 lakh voters among his premis as his followers are known. While the claim is exaggerated, a survey carried out by the Chandigarh-based Institute for Development and Communication revealed in 2008 that Dera Sacha Sauda had five lakh voters in 40 constituencies spread across Malwa.

In an election where eight to 10 seats can be the difference between forming the government and sitting in opposition, and in a region where victory margins are as slim as 1,000-1,500 votes, it's not surprising that Ram Rahim is seen as the kingmaker. Malwa alone accounts for 67 of 117 seats in Punjab.