How the RSS-BJP Front is Reshaping India’s Political Calculus
Mohan Bhagawat, the RSS chief, in his customary Vijaya Dashami address to his parivar on Tuesday, has made it clear that whatever gaps existed between the BJP and ‘culture organisation’ RSS about two years ago are no more there. The reason for the BJP to get only 240 seats (less than the majority in Lok Sabha) in 2024 general elections was given as the RSS distancing itself from the campaign, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. The then BJP president Nadda was reported to have said that the BJP no longer needs the handholding by the RSS anymore. Though Nadda qualified that his statement was made in personal capacity, it was widely believed that there developed considerable gaps between the leaderships of the BJP and the RSS.
Why the RSS Has Returned to Full Support for Modi’s BJP
Even after the resignation of the then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan following Jantar Mantar (0.1) movement, Bhagawat was trying to court the youth represented by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). He addressed about 2,000 youth at Mukhesh Ambani Cultural Centre at Mumbai to engage with Gen Z and win them over. In the course of the events, both Narendra Modi and Mohan Bhagawat appear to have realized that it is not possible to impress upon the Gen Z leadership which started demanding the resignations of Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, ECE chief Gyanesh Kumar and Ajit Dowal, the prime movers behind the present regime. The RSS must be more than happy with the dispensation headed by Modi which has been assiduously implementing the Hindu rightist agenda moving towards making India a Hindu Rashtra. So there is every reason to believe that the RSS has come back in full support of the BJP.
Nagpur Address Confirms RSS Realignment Behind Modi and Yogi Ahead of UP Polls
Mohan Bhagawat has also spoke of the unrest and violence in France, Albania, Nepal and Bangladesh and spoke of the move for regime change in India. He said, in his Nagpur address, that regime change has never improved the conditions in the country. He alleged that some foreign countries from the West are behind the youth unrest in the country which is the last bastion of democracy to be disturbed. Now there need to be no doubt that the RSS fully supports the Modi regime and Mohan Bhagawat’s oration is an indication for the RSS cadres to go full hog in canvassing support for the Yogi Adityanath regime in the upcoming UP elections. Yogi is believed to be the blue-eyed boy of the RSS which sees him as the future prime minister material after Modi.
Divided Opposition Faces a Resurgent BJP-RSS Alliance Across Key States
Rahul Gandhi of the Congress has been insisting that the BJP and the RSS are one and the same and all the secular forces in the country have to fight them together. Prime Minister Modi gave a call at the event of Ravan effigy being burnt on Vijaya Dasami Day that India’s enemies both within and outside the country have to be defeated. He meant by ‘enemies within the country’ as opposition led by Rahul Gandhi and the CJP. Now both Modi and Bhagawat are speaking the same language. The ruling side is very much united. The same cannot be said about the opposition.
Because of the local factors both DMK and AAP are against the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. The speed with which Rahul pledged his support to Vijay in Tamil Nadu abandoning the DMK and its leader Stalin, is unbecoming of an ally. Stalin is justified in being angry with the Congress leader. But his constituency in Tamil Nadu will not allow him to join the NDA. It is rumoured that he is slated to support the impending Bill of Reorganisation of constituencies with some conditions. Whatever may be the conditions, it will be harming the interests of South India and the people of Tamil Nadu will not accept it lying down. Whether it is Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay or DMK president Stalin, their support of Modi will not go down well with the people.
AAP and DMK Face the Dilemma of Anti-BJP Unity
The Aam Admi Party (AAP) has the Congress in contention both in Punjab and Delhi. There are elections early next year in Punjab where the main rival of the ruling AAP is going to be the Congress. In Delhi the opposition space is being fought for both by the Congress and the AAP. Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP chief, has been keeping his distance from the Congress during the recent direct actions against the BJP government.
However, Stalin and Kejriwal have to consider the larger question. Both of them are victims of vote theft exercise by the BJP-ECE clique. Stalin in particular lost his own elections in this year’s assembly elections due to the fact that about one lakh votes have been removed from his constituency. There is a saying that the latest adversary is the greatest enemy. The Congress may be the latest enemy of the DMK. But can Stalin forget and forgive the damage done to him and his party by the BJP’s manipulation of elections in the name of opposing the Congress? The same question can be put to Kejriwal. Both Stalin and Kejriwal are not unaware of these aspects. They have to plan to oppose and dethrone the greater enemy, the BJP, and pursue their local agenda of containing the Congress. For now, they have to support the other opposition parties and CJP.
Left in the Lurch: Jagan’s Dilemma as BJP Aligns with TDP
YSRCP, the other opposition party which has been supporting the BJP because of its rivalry with the Congress, has been left in lurch by the BJP where it is going whole hog with the TDP, the YSRCP’s main bête noir. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the chief of the party, and former chief minister, has said for the first time recently that he committed a mistake in supporting the BJP in 2023 when it amended the 1991 law of appointing the election commissioners. Owing to the pressure exerted by the TDP, BJP has been distancing itself from the YSRCP. The graft cases against Jagan Mohan Reddy are to be tried on daily basis. The cases that have been lying dormant for more than twelve years under the NDA rule are being driven to the final stage which development is surely against Reddy. The Congress which was reduced to a zero in Andhra Pradesh after the exit of Jagan and his followers is now prepared to have a truck with Jagan. It is for Jagan to decide whether it suits him to support the Congress or be friendly with the DMK and the AAP. It is untenable for him to keep supporting the NDA any more.
Prominent Journalist
Dr. K. Ramachandra Murthy is a versatile journalist with a distinguished career. Dr. Murthy began his extensive career with Andhra Prabha of The Indian Express group in Bengaluru. He was editor of Udayam, Vaartha and Andhra Jyothy. Dr. Murthy founded and edited HMTV news channel and The Hans India, an English newspaper. He was also editorial director of the Telugu newspaper, Saakshi. He was awarded Ph. D for his research work in rural reporting. Dr. Murthy’s five decades in journalism showcases his influential roles across both print and electronic media. He wrote the political biography of NTR published by Harper Collins.
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