Be it assembly elections or Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants the blessings of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Sangh director, Mohan Bhagwat, just before the elections. In the elections in which BJP failed to do this, its impact is reflected in the election results. It was about the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, during the elections, the then BJP President JP Nadda had said in an interview that when we were incompetent, we needed the Sangh, today we have grown, so we ourselves are capable.
A statement by JP Nadda had such an adverse effect that BJP’s seats decreased in many states. People associated with the BJP organization, on the condition of anonymity, say that the Sangh workers at the local level were so dissatisfied with this statement that they stopped supporting the BJP. BJP lost 29 seats in UP.
After the 2024 elections, BJP learned a lesson and the top leadership of the party joined efforts to persuade Mohan Bhagwat at any cost. When the Sangh was happy, its electoral impact was also visible. Elections were held in Maharashtra in November 2024. Elections were also held in Jharkhand. BJP returned to power in Maharashtra with a huge majority. There was a close fight in Jharkhand. Elections were held in Delhi and Bihar in the year 2025. Election results came in Delhi in February and Bihar in November. There was victory in Delhi also, there was victory in Bihar also. Before these meetings, Mohan Bhagwat gave a big message to his workers through organizational meetings.
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Mohan Bhagwat holds meeting just before elections
The results of the assembly elections came in May 2024. The results were not in favor of BJP. The party which was in power twice with a thumping majority, this time became dependent on alliance. The NDA alliance won but the government became weak. Immediately after the results, there was a long meeting between Yogi Adityanath and Mohan Bhagwat in June. The deteriorating organizational coordination between the party and the Sangh was discussed. It was said that BJP will not take the risk of 2024 for the year 2027. Mohan Bhagwat has many times indirectly reprimanded BJP leaders on public platforms.
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- Maharashtra: Mohan Bhagwat became active in the state just before the elections. Many big leaders of BJP were present in Nagpur. From Nitin Gadkari to Devendra Fadnavis, reached the court of Sangh. The election results were surprising. BJP had never got such a victory.
- Jharkhand: Mohan Bhagwat became active in 2024. Participated in ‘Prant Pracharak Meeting’ in Ranchi. Instead of meeting any big leader directly, he called regional campaigners of the state and people associated with the BJP organization, and the meeting was held behind closed doors. Agenda decided. Got the mantra of ‘Hindu unity’. The results were not in favor but BJP gave a tough fight.
- Delhi: Before February, Mohan Bhagwat suddenly became active in Delhi. Did not meet politicians, had social interactions. Direct mantra to small workers at many levels. There was a lot of news in the media that Mohan Bhagwat held a meeting with BJP leaders but what happened was not revealed. When the election results came, they were surprising. Aam Aadmi Party was marginalized. Party founders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia could not save their seats.
Why is Mohan Bhagwat’s meeting in discussion now?
Once again the meeting of Mohan Bhagwat and BJP leadership in February 2026 is in discussion. On Wednesday, Mohan Bhagwat had an important meeting with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for 40 minutes. He met CM Yogi at Niralanagar union office in Lucknow. Then met Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya. Assembly elections are going to be held in UP in the year 2027, BJP does not want to take the risk of displeasure of the Sangh.
How does the Sangh work, how does the electoral battle turn?
A former official of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh said that Sangh workers do not campaign for BJP. He doesn’t even say which party to vote for. Mohan Bhagwat has an instruction to the workers that they should trust the party which is closer to cultural nationalism. The former official said that the Sangh considers itself a cultural organization and not a political party. The former official said that people call BJP a subsidiary organization of the Sangh. BJP is influenced by the Sangh but does not work at the behest of the Sangh.
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Mohan Bhagwat, Sangh chief:-
The remote control of BJP is not in the hands of RSS, volunteers go into politics, but Sangh does not run the party.
The former official said that the Sangh keeps issues like Hindutva and nationalism relevant. During elections, Sangh volunteers do not directly campaign, they do ‘public awareness’ and talk about Hindutva and nationalism. Their emphasis is on people voting for the party that supports these principles. On one hand, while BJP believes in aggressive campaigning, Sangh workers give a big message at the ground level without saying anything. BJP’s own organization is strong and because of its association with the Sangh, the party dominates party politics. This work is done so quietly that other parties do not even have a clue.
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Akash Sharma, a booth level worker of BJP, said, ‘Special campaigners are appointed to coordinate between BJP and Sangh. The grassroots network of the Sangh is strong. There are people from the Sangh ranging from educational institutions to cultural committees. They point out the shortcomings of the party, on which issues the public is angry, what are the complaints, what is the atmosphere against which leader, whose work is good, the Sangh gives flat feedback. BJP takes note of those shortcomings.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat himself has said that the remote control of BJP is not in the hands of RSS. This happens from ticket distribution to election campaign strategy. When there are internal differences within BJP, the coordination of power and organization deteriorates, the matter reaches the Sangh headquarters. The role of the Sangh is like that of the ‘guardian’ of the BJP, which leaves the BJP free but also tells it from time to time that ‘the organization is bigger than the government.’
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