No friction, BJP free to elect its chief: RSS

The ruling party’s parent organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Saturday said the BJP was free to elect its president and there was no friction between the two on this issue.

Responding to queries on the second day of the meeting of All-India Pratinidhi Sabha, RSS’s highest decision-making body, Sangh joint general secretary Arun Kumar said there was no provision of coordination between the RSS and its outfits when it comes to internal issues concerning the affiliates.

The RSS has 32 affiliated bodies, including the BJP, its political arm.

“All 32 RSS affiliates are independent bodies which have their own internal election mechanisms and processes that they follow. The BJP will accordingly elect its chief under these processes. Have some patience for some days. The situation will become clear,” said Kumar.

He was addressing direct questions on reports that differences of opinion between the RSS and the BJP about potential candidates for the top job was delaying the election.

“There is no friction between us (on this count). We meet and work together on issues concerning the nation and society. The coordination mechanism is meant for that purpose. On internal issues, our organisations take their own call,” he clarified, adding that the BJP’s internal poll process is underway.

The remarks attained significance on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s March 30 visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, his first since becoming PM in 2014.

The visit is being watched keenly as it coincides with the processes underway for the election of the new BJP chief. The BJP presidential election, due in January, stands delayed with incumbent JP Nadda continuing to be on extension.

RSS cites Preamble on language wars

The RSS advocated for ‘One People, One Nation’, saying India’s diversity in caste, faith, language and cuisine should not lead to conflict. Citing the Constitution’s Preamble, which begins with ‘We the people’, RSS’ Arun Kumar said this formulation eliminates the scope for divisions based on language, caste and ethnicity, uniting Indians under a single identity. His remarks came in response to narratives around the North-South divide and language disputes.

Despite the RSS’ public stance of neutrality on the BJP’s presidential election, Sangh Parivar insiders recall how the organisation directly intervened in 2009 to anoint Nitin Gadkari as party president, succeeding LK Advani. This occurred despite a long list of senior contenders, including Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu. Notably, this was also the year Mohan Bhagwat took over as RSS chief.

Such was Sangh’s influence at the time that Advani, previously opposed to Gadkari, publicly endorsed him in 2010.

“The RSS has had a say in the internal matters of the BJP in the past. A lot depends on the power equation of the day. Today despite his electoral successes, PM Modi realises the importance of RSS organisation. That also explains why he recalled his RSS roots in the podcast with Lex Fridman. The BJP and RSS both know they need each other. The new BJP chief will, therefore, have to be to the liking of both,” said an old BJP hand.