By Arun Srivastava
For keeping the rank and file in high spirit and let not its logical difference with the BJP conjure them to lose trust in the saffron philosophy, the three day Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of RSS which concluded on Sunday, has decided not only to launch a major programme to unite Hindus but to organise massive outreach initiative to enrol the Dalits and even Muslims and also to make a decisive intervention in the assembly elections of West Bengal and Assam.
Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have their own strategy and are more dependent on state administration, police and Election Commission, but in sharp contrast the RSS is planning to use its manpower, the lower-level cadres. The RSS leaders are confident that use of police, especially in the areas where the BJP has no base of its own, would prove to be detrimental to the organisation. Some RSS leaders view the massive deployment of police may check the aggressive posture of the TMC cadres, but it would alienate the common Bengalis and it would eventually prove to be counterproductive. One development at the meet has been quite perceptible; the differences in organizational approach and power dynamics, persists.
While the BJP leadership, especially Narendra Modi, has not been much concerned of the OBC and dalit movement supporting the UGC recommendation, the key focus of this three-day meet of Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), of RSS held in Haryana seriously discussed the issue of political ramifications of the UGC Equity Regulations 2026, which caused distress among Dalit and OBC communities and placed the BJP government on the defensive, particularly regarding the Jatav and Chamar communities.
Supreme Court staying the new regulations has created a situation where both upper castes and Dalit/OBC communities were dissatisfied, prompting the RSS to step in to mitigate damage. The RSS aimed to deepen its outreach among Dalit communities, especially Jatavs, by emphasizing its focus on figures central to their religious consciousness, such as Sant Ravidas. This would be best break for the RSS to focus on strengthening the “Dalit connect” ahead of the 2027 UP polls and bring Dalit and tribal communities under a wider Hindutva umbrella. Meet was also confident that this would help it in Assam and particularly in Bengal, where a large number of Dalit Matua voters have been kept out of the voters list, endangering their citizenship.
With the Modi government on the back foot over the issue of UGC regulations, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is planning a year-long programme to reach out to the Dalit community through a countrywide celebration of the 650th birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas. RSS publicity-in-charge Sunil Ambekar said “This is the 650th birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas. He was a pioneer of samajik samrasta (social harmony). A statement will be issued on Sant Ravidas’s anniversary during the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) baithak. Throughout the anniversary year, RSS workers will organise events commemorating his ideas and his work. And wherever such events are organised by others, RSS workers will participate and contribute,”
One development was quite significant. The RSS meet spent maximum time on devising the expansion strategy for UP. The UGC Equity Regulations 2026 has hit hard the political and social scenario of the state. Upper caste groups have protested the exclusion of ‘general category’ students from protections under the rules, but following a stay from the Supreme Court, OBCs and Dalits are also said to be upset. These are all vote banks that the BJP has been trying to woo, and coming ahead of the UP polls in 2027, the issue has put the party in a spot of bother.
RSS as part of the centenary celebrations would conduct ‘Grih Sampark’ and ‘Hindu Sammelan’. Under the Grih Sampark programme, RSS would reach 10 crore households. Hindu Sammelans are being conducted at the mandal and basti levels. RSS leadership claimed of getting a good response to Sangh work. “How we can increase public participation, what plans we need to come up with to help those who want to associate with Sangh work, are some of the things we will discuss during the assembly. In the past year, the Sangh has added 6,000 more shakhas,” said PR chief.
The meet held just a month ahead of assembly election in Bengal has attained much significance. Though Modi and Shah have not approached and requested the RSS leadership to help the BJP, the RSS leadership on its own resort to all kind of interference to help the BJP. The leadership nurses the hope that a win will ensure fast spread of the organisation in entire east and north east. A win for BJP may see some ex-Congress defectors coming to power, but that would not be of any consequence for the organisation. It ought to use the election to strengthen its base.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat wants a big push to his initiative, launched nearly a year back, to move beyond the Bharatiya Janata Party in order to make the doctrine of Hindutva more inclusive and even reach out to the Muslims. Little doubt RSS will play a crucial, “backbone” role in the BJP’s election strategy for the upcoming 2026 assembly elections in key states, particularly following the lessons learned from the 2024 general elections. The Sangh is intensifying its grassroots involvement to consolidate Hindu votes, increase voter engagement, and counter anti-BJP narratives in several states. Based on recent political developments and reports, the RSS is poised to play a decisive role in at least three states Bengal, Assam and Kerala
Following a 2021 organizational failure, the RSS is planning a deeper intervention in the 2026 West Bengal polls, with a focus on “new” Hindu votes and extensive, non-visible involvement of volunteers (swayamsevaks). The strategy includes focusing on alleged TMC corruption and law-and-order issues, organizing “Hindu Sammelans,” and a “silent campaign” to influence local groups. It is working to solidify the BJP’s standing in Assam, navigating challenging political terrains by strengthening the party’s grassroots machinery and reinforcing a Hindutva-based ideological narrative.
The RSS is observing its centenary year focused on assessing its “Mission Hindutva Awakening” and strengthening its organizational structure. The primary focus is planning for the RSS centenary (Oct 2025–Oct 2026), including initiatives like Panch Parivartan (five transformations) initiative. The meeting focused on Youth and Professionals. The RSS is targeting the youth (15-40 age group) and professionals (engineers, doctors, teachers) through 60% Vidyarthi Shakhas (student branches) and special training camps, with a goal of strengthening its reach in metro cities and among young professionals. RSS cadres have already visited 55,000 Muslim households and 54,000 Christian households in Kerala. More than 36,000 Hindu Sammelans have been organised across India. (IPA Service)
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