RSS-BJP bonhomie

Narendra Modi’s first visit to the RSS headquarters as the Prime Minister has given the impression that all’s well between the BJP and its ideological parent. The optics were clearly aimed at demonstrating that the saffron party and the Sangh are generally on the same page. The PM’s salute to RSS volunteers for “their selfless work in various fields” was actually a shout-out for their crucial role in the BJP’s thumping wins in the Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi Assembly elections. Sangh workers’ proactive outreach programme to mobilise voters in the three states made a decisive difference; it also underscored the indispensability of the RSS for the BJP, which no longer looked all-powerful.

Doubts about their relationship had surfaced after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat made scathing observations in the wake of the BJP’s underwhelming performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Bhagwat had stated that a true sevak (one who serves the people) does not have ahankar (arrogance) — a remark that seemed to target the party top brass, including the PM himself. This wake-up call prompted the BJP to get down from its hobby horse and reaffirm the Sangh’s pre-eminence. The strategy has reaped electoral dividends in the past six months, and the saffron party is eager to continue in the same vein.

PM Modi’s visit and his high praise for the RSS leave no room for doubt that the Sangh Parivar will now have a greater say in the affairs of the government and the party. It won’t be surprising if the next BJP president bears the Sangh stamp. Considering that the PM is heavily dependent on allies to prop up his coalition government, the BJP will increasingly bank on the RSS to fortify its defences. This arrangement will face a litmus test in states such as Punjab, Kerala and West Bengal, where the saffron party is looking to make big inroads over the next two years.

Editorials