Religious sects, commonly known as Deras, have remained a decisive factor in Punjab politics for nearly five decades. Of the nearly 9,000 Deras across the state, around 300, including Dera Sacha Sauda, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, and Dera Sachkhand Ballan, are considered highly influential. These organizations command significant support among Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, and other marginalized communities, making them an important electoral factor for political parties.
A Lokniti-CSDS study conducted in 2022 found that nearly one-fourth of Punjab's electorate, primarily from marginalized communities and Scheduled Castes, identified themselves as followers of specific Deras. Dera Sacha Sauda holds considerable influence in the Malwa region, Dera Sachkhand Ballan has a strong presence in the Doaba region, and Radha Soami Satsang Beas is influential across the Majha region. Together, these three regions account for all 117 Assembly constituencies, with Malwa having 69 seats, Majha 25 seats, and Doaba 23 seats. The Doaba region has the highest concentration of Deras, including Dera Sachkhand Ballan, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, and Dera Sant Sarwan Dass. Dera Sachkhand Ballan is regarded as an important religious institution of the Ravidasia Scheduled Caste community, while Radha Soami Satsang Beas attracts followers from multiple social backgrounds and is considered one of the most influential organizations in the state.
The political role of Deras has evolved over time. Political analysts maintain that these organizations no longer remain committed to any single political party. The Shiromani Akali Dal's attempts to regain the support of Dera Sacha Sauda followers proved unsuccessful during the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections following controversies involving its chief, Gurmit Ram Rahim. Radha Soami Satsang Beas publicly maintains that it remains politically neutral, although reports have suggested indirect support for the Shiromani Akali Dal because Bikram Majithia is a distant relative of the Dera chief. Senior political leaders from different parties have regularly visited these religious organizations to seek blessings before elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan in February this year to participate in the 649th birth anniversary celebrations of Sant Guru Ravidas Ji and sought blessings from Dera chief Sant Niranjan Dass. Subsequently, Sant Niranjan Dass was conferred the Padma Shri. Newly appointed Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party President Kewal Singh Dhillon also recently met the Dera chief. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have all met Radha Soami Satsang Beas chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon on different occasions.
Professor Pramod Kumar, Chairperson of the Institute for Development and Communication at Panjab University, Chandigarh, said that Deras may or may not support political parties, but their influence remains limited and fragmented. He observed that followers belong to diverse religious and social backgrounds, including Sikhs, Hindus, Scheduled Castes, and urban communities. According to him, while Deras may appeal to followers to support a particular political party, individual political preferences often differ.
Alongside the declining political influence of Deras, Punjab's long-established dynastic politics is also facing serious challenges. Historically, political power in the state revolved around a handful of influential families, including those of former Chief Minister Pratap Singh Kairon, the Patiala royal family, the Majithia family, the Brar family, the Mann family, and the Badal family, most of whom belong to the Jat community.
These political families are interconnected through several high-profile marriages. Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, is married to the daughter of Satyajeet Singh Majithia, while his daughter Parneet Kaur is married to Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon, the son of Pratap Singh Kairon. Former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh's wife and Simranjit Singh Mann's wife are sisters. Captain Amarinder Singh, Harcharan Singh Brar, and Pratap Singh Kairon are also related. Captain Amarinder Singh's brother, Malvinder Singh, has family ties with the Brar family, while Harcharan Singh Brar's wife is the niece of Pratap Singh Kairon.
Although these families dominated Punjab politics for decades, their electoral strength has weakened significantly. Captain Amarinder Singh lost the 2022 Assembly election from his traditional stronghold of Patiala. Prominent leaders, including Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Bikram Majithia, and Manpreet Singh Badal, also suffered major defeats against candidates of the Aam Aadmi Party. Despite these setbacks, political dynasties continue to remain active. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Bikram Majithia, Manpreet Singh Badal, Captain Amarinder Singh's wife Preneet Kaur, daughter Jai Inder Kaur, and several other family members are expected to receive election nominations from their respective political parties.
Professor Pramod Kumar stated that the electoral value of religious organizations and dynastic politics has largely been exhausted after decades of political use. According to him, the factors likely to influence the coming Assembly elections are welfare benefits, the drug issue, and religious organizations rather than dynastic politics.
While analysts believe that the political influence of Deras and dynasties is declining, the issue of narcotics is expected to remain one of the most significant themes of the 2027 Assembly elections. The continuing drug crisis has caused deep social and generational damage across Punjab and has repeatedly become a major political issue during elections.
Successive governments have promised decisive action against narcotics. Captain Amarinder Singh had pledged to eliminate the problem within four weeks. Arvind Kejriwal promised action within two to three months. The Bharatiya Janata Party has pledged to eradicate Punjab's narcotics problem completely within two years of forming the state government.
Official seizure figures indicate a substantial increase in heroin recoveries over the years. During the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party government between 2012 and 2017, annual heroin seizures averaged between 300 and 500 kilograms. During the Congress government from 2017 to 2022, annual seizures increased to around 700 kilograms. After 2022, under the Aam Aadmi Party government, heroin seizures reportedly increased by approximately 2,000 kilograms.
The increase in seizures has intensified criticism from opposition parties and sections of the public, who allege that drug trafficking has expanded during the present government. The Aam Aadmi Party, however, has attempted to project a strong campaign against narcotics and has taken action against several prominent political figures. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia and Congress leader Sukhpal Khaira were arrested in drug-related cases but were subsequently granted bail. Three leaders associated with the Aam Aadmi Party have also been arrested in separate narcotics cases. The party's youth wing leader, Lovepreet Singh, was arrested with 4.3 kilograms of heroin in March 2026. Moga Mayor Baljit Singh Chani was suspended in November 2025 over alleged involvement in a narcotics network. The party's village head, Paramjit Singh, was arrested in a drug smuggling case in Tarn Taran in February 2023.
After failing to eliminate the narcotics problem solely through law enforcement, the Punjab government has introduced evidence-based anti-drug education into the school curriculum as part of a broader structural strategy.
Professor Ashutosh Kumar, Head of the Department of Political Science at Panjab University, stated that public confidence in both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party has weakened because their promises regarding narcotics control were not fulfilled. He referred to Captain Amarinder Singh's pledge to eliminate narcotics after taking an oath on the Gutka Sahib and noted that the Aam Aadmi Party repeatedly revised its promised timeline from two to three months to six months and beyond. He added that political attention has now shifted toward the Bharatiya Janata Party after Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised to dismantle the narcotics network within two years, suggesting that the party could emerge as a significant political beneficiary.
As Punjab moves closer to the 2027 Assembly elections, the state's traditional political triangle of religious organizations, dynastic politics, and the narcotics issue is undergoing a profound transformation. Political parties are becoming increasingly cautious about seeking support from influential religious organizations or relying on established political families. The Shiromani Akali Dal has avoided aggressively pursuing support from Dera Sacha Sauda because religious hardline groups and the Akal Takht continue to scrutinize those accused of assisting Gurmit Ram Rahim in the sacrilege controversy. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is also facing allegations related to sacrilege and has been declared an offender against the Sikh faith by his critics. Political parties are expected to carefully assess the prospects of candidates from political families who were defeated in the 2022 Assembly elections. Simultaneously, internal divisions within the Congress, the weakening of the Shiromani Akali Dal, and the emergence of the Amritpal Singh-led Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) are likely to reshape Punjab's political landscape and could significantly influence the outcome of the 2027 Assembly elections.
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