RSS ideologue critiques BJP for over-relying on Modi for LS polls

Ratan Sharda, a long-term RSS ideologue and an author, has elucidated what went wrong for the BJP, which was aiming for at least 300 seats in the Lok Sabha if not 400.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

An article by Ratan Sharda, long term RSS ideologue and author, who has written series of books on the RSS including - "RSS360, Sangh & Swaraj, RSS: Evolution from an Organisation to a Movement, Conflict Resolution The RSS Way", has brought out the issues that the BJP leaders failed to address in the run-up to the 2024 general elections while banking just on the 'Modi factor' to sail through.

In an interview to The Sunday Guardian, Sharda has further elucidated what went wrong for the BJP, which was aiming for at least 300 seats in the Lok Sabha if not 400.

Q. What prompted you to bring your concerns into the public sphere, considering they were being discussed privately in the party circles for a long time now? A. I have been a Swayamsevak since my childhood. I have also stood by Bharatiya Jan Sangh and BJP in its best and worst times. I consider the party to be a member of 'Hindutva vaicharik parivar' and have defended it in writing and on electronic and social media. I have also criticised it once in a while where required. Looking at the 2024 setback, despite a record win for the third time; as a thinking swayamsevak, I thought it was my duty to share my concerns and possible solutions so the party can retrain and repurpose its cadre for coming years.

Q. While you mentioned workers becoming overconfident, do you believe leaders and MPs share more responsibility for not working at the grassroots level and relying solely on Prime Minister Modi's appeal to secure victories? A. These are two different questions. A. Workers being over confident. Yes, the new age workers have only seen the outstanding success of BJP and its expansion and domination of Indian politics. Modi had asked them and MLAs and MPs to reach out to people and share the good work done by its government.

Based on this ground work and his own great work, he exhorted the cadre and local leaders to target 400 seats.