In a significant political development, a series of high-level meetings between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unfolded in Lucknow this week, signaling a deep introspection within the ruling establishment following the party's performance in the 2024 general elections.
A Flurry of Unusual Consultations
The political activity began on Monday evening with a coordination meeting that brought together functionaries from the RSS and its affiliated organizations with ministers and officials of the Uttar Pradesh government. A senior RSS functionary described such micro-level meetings as rare during the tenure of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's government. The attendees provided feedback, suggestions, and sought follow-ups on various contentious issues.
Parallelly, in a notable one-on-one interaction, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the Sangh's office in Ayodhya. This meeting, which lasted approximately 90 minutes, was the first such direct conversation between the two leaders in at least a couple of years, according to RSS insiders.
Top Brass Flies In for Strategy Sessions
Adding to the weight of the consultations, senior RSS functionary Arun Kumar, who serves as the national coordinator between the RSS and BJP, and the BJP's national organization secretary, B.L. Santosh, arrived in Lucknow for two critical rounds of discussions.
The first meeting was held at Bharti Bhawan in Rajendra Nagar. It included Arun Kumar, B.L. Santosh, Kshetriya Pracharak (east) Anil Singh, Kshetriya Pracharak (west-Uttarakhand) Mahendra Kumar, and others. Sources indicated that the coordination between the government and the party organization was discussed threadbare, with suggestions to plug existing loopholes.
A second, more expansive meeting took place at 5 Kalidas Marg, the official residence of the Chief Minister. This gathering saw the presence of the CM, both deputy chief ministers—Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak—alongside the visiting RSS-BJP leaders, UP BJP organization secretary Dharmpal Saini, and UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary.
Context: The 2024 Electoral Setback
The urgency and scale of these meetings cannot be dismissed as routine. They are viewed against the backdrop of the BJP's performance in Uttar Pradesh during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party's tally in the state fell sharply to 33 seats from the 62 it had won in the 2019 polls. Since that result, a major review of the losses had not been formally undertaken.
BJP leaders have privately cited several reasons for the setback, including candidate selection, a lack of coordination between the government and the party machinery in the state, a dent in OBC votes, and disenchantment among the grassroots workers of the RSS.
Roadmap for 2027 and Key Discussions
With the next Uttar Pradesh assembly elections scheduled for early 2027, the meetings aimed to chart a course for a comeback. Discussions at the ministers-RSS meet included specific issues like preparing data on nomadic (ghumantu) tribes, bringing them under government welfare schemes, and facilitating Aadhar card issuance for them.
The core agenda, however, was mending fences and improving synergy. Participants emphasized that internal divisions before the state polls would be more damaging than any opposition strategy. Proposals to ensure a return to power in 2027 highlighted better coordination as the fundamental key to success. The participants agreed to work collectively in the party's interest, burying past differences.
An RSS functionary involved in the process concluded that the outcomes of these deliberations would become visible in the times ahead, indicating a period of recalibrated strategy and unified action.
