Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Satnami Guru Family Split Raises Stakes in Chhattisgarh Politics
A well-known Satnami religious family in Chhattisgarh has members supporting different political parties.
Dhal Das joined the Congress party.
His brother, Guru Khuswant Das, is a minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Dhal Das said he discussed his decision with his father and brother.
The family is connected to Guru Ghasi Das, an important social reformer.
Many Satnamis are voters in Chhattisgarh, so political leaders pay close attention to them.
Satnamis make up about 18 percent of the state’s population.
Khuswant Das said the family’s political difference would not change the state’s politics.
Dhal Das, elder son of Guru Bal Das, joined the Congress in Raipur on Saturday.
His brother, Guru Khuswant Das, is a cabinet minister in the Vishnu Deo Sai government.
The Satnami Guru family traces its lineage to 18th-century social reformer Guru Ghasi Das.
Satnamis comprise 18 percent of Chhattisgarh’s population and influence elections in 21 of 90 Assembly constituencies.
Guru Khuswant Das accused Congress of dividing the family politically and said Dhal Das’s move would have no impact.
- Who
- Dhal Das, Guru Bal Das, and cabinet minister Guru Khuswant Das of the Satnami Guru family.
- What
- Dhal Das joined the Congress, creating a political split within the influential family.
- When
- Saturday; the article does not provide a calendar date.
- Where
- Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
- Why
- Dhal Das said he joined Congress after consulting his father and brother; the move is significant because the family influences many Satnami voters.
Dhal Das’s Congress Move
Guru Khuswant Das’s Rebuttal
Impact on Chhattisgarh politics
Dhal Das’s Congress Move
Dhal Das’s move places a prominent member of the influential Satnami Guru family with Congress and could draw attention among Satnami voters.
Guru Khuswant Das’s Rebuttal
Guru Khuswant Das said Congress had divided the family politically and argued that Dhal Das’s induction would have no impact on state politics.
- Political move
- Dhal Das joined the Congress in the presence of former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.
- Family connection
- The family descends from 18th-century social reformer Guru Ghasi Das.
- Brother’s position
- Guru Khuswant Das is a cabinet minister in the Vishnu Deo Sai ministry.
- Community size
- Dalits constitute 18 percent of Chhattisgarh’s population, according to the article.
- Electoral reach
- Satnamis are described as influential in 21 of Chhattisgarh’s 90 Assembly constituencies.
- Recent political history
- Guru Bal Das and Guru Khuswant Das joined the Bharatiya Janata Party before the 2023 Assembly polls.
- Disputed impact
- Khuswant Das said Dhal Das’s Congress induction would have no impact on state politics.