Modi in Nagpur: BJP Knows it Must Stay Rooted in RSS 'Akshyavat'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Nagpur visit to the headquarters of the (RSS) continues to create a buzz in the saffron corridors. The visit affirmed the centrality of the RSS amid the saffron hues of all shades. 

Modi’s description of the RSS as an ‘Akshayvat', an immortal banyan tree,  puts all suggestions of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gaining autonomy within the saffron outfit to rest. Modi’s visit lies reaffirms what was already evident after the RSS' centenary conclave in Bengaluru last month—that saffron affiliates, including the BJP, must stay under the shade of the RSS, reaffirming 

Setting the Stage for Nagpur Visit

Modi appears to have laid painstaking groundwork for his 30 March visit to the Nagpur headquarters of the Sangh, preceded by two distinct events that saw him fawn over the RSS.

First was his podcast with American podcaster Lex Fridman. Arguably meant for an American audience, Modi managed to use it to draw international attention to the outfit.

Second was the ‘Marathi Sahitya Sammelan’, held on 21 February, which gave him yet another opportunity to heap praises on the RSS. On both occasions, Modi articulated how his life has been a journey inspired by the RSS. 

Some sections of commentators are claiming that the the RSS allegedly handed over a "wish list" to Modi. Modi spent about 17 minutes at the RSS headquarters on 30 March. He held no closed-door meetings with the RSS top brass. Thus, there is little credence to such claims.

While in Nagpur—recently at the epicentre of over Mughal ruler Aurangzeb's tomb—Modi laid the foundation of an eye centre, incidentally named after the second ever RSS chief, Madhav Golwalkar, known affectionately as ‘Guruji’. He devoted nearly half of his speech at the foundation-laying ceremony to praising the RSS. 

Modi accorded the outfit the sanctity of being a “light that dispels darkness” and eulogised ‘Swayamsewaks’ as “selfless” workers in devoted to the service to the nation. 

The 75-year-old 'Sword of Damocles'

Modi is 74 years of age. The RSS Sarsanghchalak (chief) is 74 too, just six days older than Modi. The BJP, around the , had dismissed claims of the purported 75-year age ceiling for electoral politics for leaders within the party.

Yet, the question of who Modi would pick as his successor remains a favourite among BJP leaders and watchers alike.

At the RSS headquarters, Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji' shares the coveted mantle of seniority with Modi and Bhagwat. Now 77 years old, Joshi exited the top echelon of the RSS upon approaching 75. The exit was in line with RSS' push to bring forward the ‘Generation Next’ of saffron leaders. The RSS has brought younger leadership to the top, with Dattatreya Hosbole, 70, being named the general secretary. 

Will Bhagwat and Modi time their exits from their current positions? Insiders in the RSS and the BJP argue that the “timing” would be crucial for an affirmative answer to that question. At present, they state, "such a time has not yet come because of global fluid geopolitics".

"Within the country also, political challenges such as demands for caste census and rise of identity politics may provide an alibi to both Modi and Bhagwat for staying on," a saffron functionary with deep roots in Nagpur told The Quint.

No Guarantees of 'Status Quo'

The of the new BJP president has been looming in the backdrop of Modi’s visit to Nagpur, as well as the three-day-long national executive meeting of the RSS in Bengaluru. “BJP aur RSS ke beech thani nahi hai (there’s no war going on between the BJP and the RSS),” Arun Kumar, the joint general secretary of the RSS, said while addressing a press conference in Bengaluru.

The BJP is, however, yet to announce the new president. Sources reveal that “the impression of the BJP president being a proxy of someone is not acceptable to the RSS”.

The common saffron refrain is that the RSS spells out the criteria for electing the next party president, its two primary criteria being that the new BJP president ticks the boxes of ‘Generation Next’ and ‘Ability to drive expansion’. The third understated criterion, sources claim, is of the BJP president asserting the independence of their office.

New ‘D4’ & ‘Plateauing’ Saffron Growth

Sources within the RSS pinpoint discomfort within the organisation against the “status quo”. The RSS has dealt with the 'D4' (a caucus of four in Delhi) in the past. In the past, the group denoted LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj, and Arun Jaitely. Over the years, BJP observers claim that ‘D4’ recruited new entrants.

The naming of Sangh insider Nitin Gadkari as BJP President was seen as an attempt by the RSS to break the status quo enjoyed by ‘D4’. Gadkari didn’t take instructions from Delhi and worked for the 'GenNext' and expansion mandates of the RAA, a former saffron functionary said.

The RSS is, thus, keen to “guide” someone to the post of the BJP president who can work like Gadkari. This is significant because the next BJP president will play a pivotal role whenever the question arises of ‘Who next, after Modi?’. 

Hours before Modi visited Nagpur, Hosbole penned a long article wherein he wrote, “We have not reached each village and each kasba. This should be a matter of introspection”. His statement was aligned to the growing concerns about saffron expansion hitting a plateau. The BJP is the political extension of the RSS. Hosbole’s concern may also apply on the BJP. “There is no update yet on the membership drive of the BJP against the target of 20 crores,” notes a BJP functionary. 

Modi’s Nagpur visit, thus, signals a readjustment of ties in the saffron stable. Most importantly, Modi has yoked the BJP to the RSS, made evident by his speech. The RSS may now exert to push the BJP out of its comfort zones.

Incumbent BJP chief JP Nadda’s statement amid campaigns for the recent Lok Sabha elections—that the party is capable of winning polls on its own—had strained the party's ties with the RSS.

The Lok Sabha verdict proved Nadda wrong, as the BJP lost its singular majority in the polls with many observers atributing the loss in part to the half-hearted support of the RSS.

Subsequently, the bond was repaired, and the RSS functionaries held their ground in the Assembly elections. The BJP won Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi, while also gaining in Jammu. The party seems to have got a reality check that without the active support of the RSS, it would struggle in elections. Modi’s visit to Nagpur sends a clear message—that the BJP is committed to be fully aligned with its parent organisation.

(The author is a Delhi-based journalist with two decades of political journalism spent with The New Indian Express, Deccan Chronicle, The Asian Age, and The Statesman. This is an opinion piece. The views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.))