Fly on the Wall
How to douse fire in 'Parivar'
The last word on the bitter chapter between the BJP and its mentor, the RSS which began in the midst of Lok Sabha polls in May this year, is yet to be written. Such differences are nothing new in the 'Sangh Parivar' as these had surfaced when Vasant Rao Oak, Balraj Madhok, L K Advani or even Atal Behari Vajpayee were at the helm. But there was always a happy ending like in most Hindi films and the RSS always emerged the winner. But this time, BJP president J P Nadda said something unimaginable on May 18, 2024. In the midst of the Lok Sabha polls, he said that the BJP does not need RSS support now as the party has grown and is capable (to run its own affairs). He did not stop there and went on to say, “everyone has got their own duties and roles. The RSS is a cultural and social organization and we are a political organization… It's not a question of need...”. Nadda's statement shocked political observers and the Parivar but no one was willing to react. However, the outcome of Lok Sabha polls shocked the BJP leadership as its tally came down to 240 seats from 303. The party had lost the majority though NDA emerged as the winner.
It was expected that the BJP leadership would make amends. But nothing of the sort happened. Finally, the RSS Chief, Mohan Bhagwat decided to bell the cat exactly two months later on July 18. He said at a public function in Ranchi,“In the course of self-development, a person may want to become a 'superman' and then a “God” and then a “Vishwaroopa”. He did not name anybody but left none in doubt about the intended target.
The Importance of being Suresh Soni
All eyes are now set on the 3-day long annual Coordination Committee meeting of the RSS being held in Kerala beginning August 31 to review the performance of all its 36 frontal organizations including the BJP. Insiders expect that a way forward may emerge when Nadda and a couple of senior Union Ministers attend the Kerala meet. If reports are to be believed, the BJP leadership is already smoking the peace pipe. It realized that without the RSS, it will become a “New Congress”. If the RSS withdraws its workers from its political arm in every district and town, the BJP will be left with only the defectors drawn from other parties. The worried BJP dispensation was busy in the ministry formation and reported to have knocked at the doors of RSS veteran Suresh Soni to find a way out. Soni commands tremendous respect in the RSS and worked in Gujarat and had a tremendous contribution in bringing Modi to Delhi.
The RSS leadership made it clear to the BJP leadership it is not interested in running the government by proxy or otherwise. However, it would like to be consulted before a new party chief is appointed who must be a dedicated RSS worker. The BJP responded saying that the time is short due to the Budget session and Assembly polls are also round the corner and needed time. It also emerged that a working president be appointed. Several names emerged during this intervening period including that of BJP general secretary Vinod Tawade who hails from Maharashtra, former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Shivraj Singh Chauhan. But the BJP leadership suggested that Nadda be allowed to continue in the party post until January 2025. Though RSS' Sarkarvyah Dattatreya Hosabole who is number two in the hierarchy, is stationed in Delhi and Arun Kumar, joint general secretary of the RSS looks after the coordination with the BJP, this crisis was handled by Suresh Soni.
Khattar runs Haryana by Proxy
Manohar Lal Khattar may have quit as Chief Minister of Haryana and been inducted in the Union Cabinet after being elected to the Lok Sabha polls from Karnal. But this has not deterred him from running the show in the state. He continues to stay in the Chief Ministerial Bungalow in Chandigarh as his successor Nayab Singh Saini needs his guidance in running the administration. Khattar is a Modi loyalist and a full-time RSS worker. It was at his bidding that another Khattar loyalist Mohan Lal Badoli was appointed as president of the Haryana BJP. Badoli unsuccessfully contested 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Sonipat. He is an MLA of the BJP. He is a Brahmin by caste and the BJP hopes to reap the harvest by cornering the majority of non-Jat votes in the state. Khattar is a Punjabi while Saini is an OBC. The BJP thinks that the Jats will be divided among the Congress, INLD and JJP. However, the BJP will have a tough time to be third time lucky. During the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP suffered a huge setback in the state when it lost five out of 10 Lok Sabha seats and its vote percentage also fell down. Many wonder why Khattar continues to be the face of the party in Haryana when he was removed due to anti-incumbency ahead of the Assembly polls in December.
