The BJP top brass and the RSS leadership on Tuesday held a marathon meeting, lasting over five hours, to discuss issues of mutual concern.
The meeting comes ahead of the RSS ‘Pratinidhi Sabha’ in March, and sources said that in the run-up to the sabha meet, the RSS routinely meets all its affiliates.
In Tuesday’s meeting, the RSS told the BJP that it should not come under pressure while taking decisions on key issues, like the Prime Ministerial candidate. While the RSS had recently openly praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, this was the Sangh’s way to convey to the BJP that the clamour for prime ministership “should not become a pressure tactic”.
A top BJP leader present at the meeting said that the Sangh leadership asked the BJP brass to consider all views and that a decision should be taken in the fora like the Parliamentary forum and the core group. “We endorsed the RSS suggestion,” said the BJP leader.
The high-profile meeting, held at a party secretary’s house on Rajdoot Marg at Chanakya Puri in South Delhi, was attended by BJP president Rajnath Singh, L K Advani, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley, Murli Manohar Joshi, M Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar and general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal. Joint general secretaries (organisation) V Satish and Saudan Singh were also present.
The RSS was represented by general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi and senior RSS leaders Suresh Soni, Dattatreya Hosbale and Madandas Devi. Hosbale told Express that the leaders discussed the common issues facing the two organisations.
Sources said that the BJP and the RSS brass discussed the prevailing political situation, coming state elections and the internal election scenario, among other issues.