RSS to put its weight behind BJP's poll campaign

Business as usual at RSS HQ in orange city, senior leaders left to fields

It is business as usual at Hedgewar Bhavan, headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) here. On the heels of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s elevation as Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Prime Ministerial candidate, most of senior-level as well as the second-rung leaders of the have left for field visits. The silence at the RSS headquarters in the Orange City is explanatory as the focus has shifted to the Parivar and their strongholds across the country in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

RSS Sarsanghchalak (chief) Mohan Bhagwat, who played a major role in Modi's anointment, is currently in Mumbai to hold review meetings with organisational workers from the Konkan region. Manmohan Vaidya, Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh is travelling in Gujarat, informs office secretary Vikas Telang.

However, an RSS swayamsevak for over three decades, who does not want to be identified, tells Business Standard: “The ensuing Lok Sabha elections is a make-or-break election. RSS has already asked members of the Parivar, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajarang Dal, Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram and Dharma Jagaran Manch to step up activities across the country to motivate people to vote for a change of government. RSS will never openly campaign for Modi or for BJP, but all the Parivar members will strive to reach out to the people by convincing them how change is inevitable.”

He added that neither the RSS nor the Parivar was keen to communalise the elections.

Sudhir Pathak, chief of Vishwa Samvad Kendra, says the BJP will focus on Hindutva and development together with a view to reaching out to cross sections. RSS, which had swung into action after the elections immediately after the Emergency, is gearing up for a similar action in the ensuing elections as well, he observes.

“Narendra Modi has turned out to be a successful chief minister during his three terms. More importantly, the youth is attracted towards his development agenda and the BJP is determined to encash it during the coming elections,” he adds.

RSS chief Bhagwat's Dussera rally speech will be put on web in order to reach out not only to the countrymen but to non-resident Indians and People of India Origin as well. “The idea is to make them aware of RSS functioning and thereby taking up issues confronted by India and what could be solutions,” he notes.

Dilip Deodhar, an RSS analyst, who has penned more than 42 books on the organisation, says Modi enjoys RSS’ tacit backing. “It is not a fight between Modi and the Congress, but it’s a fight between the RSS Parivar and Nehru Gandhi dynasty. The entire Parivar is geared up to take on character assassination efforts from the Congress party. Modi has been speaking about economy, increasing the growth rate, internal security and he will not directly take up Hindutva agenda,” notes Deodhar.

Deodhar says Modi will continue to remind the voters that real the Congress was dissolved in January 1948 as declared by Mahatma Gandhi. “The present Congress party organisation has been hijacked by Nehru Gandhi dynasty and it will be Modi’s line of campaign. Modi is expected to release India Vision 2040 ahead of the elections,” says Deodhar.