Delhi debacle to come up as RSS, BJP brass meet
THE RSS BRASS MIGHT PRESS FOR SOME CHANGES, INCLUDING GIVING AN ORGANISATIONAL ROLE TO SENIOR PEOPLE
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata party’s loss in Delhi has rung warning bells in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh – the ruling party’s ideological mentor – that may suggest some course corrections to the BJP in a meeting this Sunday.
The fact that BJP won only 3 out of 70 assembly seats in Delhi was discussed in a routine meeting of top five RSS leaders, including its head Mohan Bhagwat, here on Thursday. While admitting that victory or defeat was part of the game, the RSS leaders appeared worried about the scale of the loss BJP suffered.
The RSS brass, sources claimed, might press for some changes, including giving an organisational role to senior people. “There is concern in the RSS that BJP’s organisational structure has been packed with relatively low profile and inexperienced leaders. A generation change, but it should pass through a process,” said a source, privy to the deliberations between the RSS leaders.
An expansion of the BJP’s core team is due with more than half a dozen seats remaining vacant and the RSS wants more coordination between itself, the BJP and the government. A report on the poll debacle is expected to be ready by Sunday, and could be discussed at the meeting.
Several BJP leaders have, in private, blamed the noises made by right wing Hindu groups and certain BJP leaders for having a bearing on the poll results.
Union minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said, on Friday, that the government was taking steps to restrain “fringe” elements that have been making “irresponsible” comments.
The BJP and the RSS, both, want the discourse to shift back to issues of governance and development. Sources say the RSS leaders will also be giving inputs to BJP leaders and the government on the budget, which they feel would set the foundation for the party’s future electoral battles.