LUCKNOW: With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due early next year, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the ruling BJP, has stepped up preparations for the electoral battle.
According to sources, Sangh functionaries and cadres of affiliated organisations are working on two fronts: gathering feedback on the performance and public standing of sitting BJP MLAs and prospective candidates, and building an electoral campaign on the ground.
The RSS's involvement in the candidate-selection exercise could have a bearing on the prospects of sitting MLAs and ticket aspirants, with sources claiming that a negative assessment from the organisation could affect their chances of securing a BJP ticket.
Sources said the RSS and BJP have stepped up coordination to formulate a strategy for the upcoming elections. BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh, national general secretary Vinod Tawde and RSS joint general secretary Arun Kumar recently met in Delhi to discuss the preparations.
Santosh and Tawde subsequently visited Lucknow, where they held meetings with RSS functionaries and sought assessments of the ground situation, including the performance of the government, the BJP organisation and its MLAs.
According to sources, the RSS is preparing constituency-wise reports covering local political equations, the image of sitting MLAs, potential ticket aspirants, local issues and social and caste dynamics. The reports are also assessing the BJP's support base vis-à-vis the Samajwadi Party and changes in social equations, including issues associated with the younger generation.
Detailed reports from the Kashi, Awadh, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Meerut and Braj regions are expected to be submitted to the central leadership and could form part of the party's candidate-selection exercise.
BJP insiders claim that during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the RSS and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had recommended replacing candidates in several constituencies and flagged negative reports about some sitting MPs. According to these insiders, the feedback was not acted upon by those deciding the tickets, while the BJP's reliance on several incumbent faces contributed to its tally in Uttar Pradesh falling from 62 seats in 2019 to 33 in 2024.
This time, sources said, both the RSS and BJP are taking a more cautious approach.
According to sources, one of the major concerns before the Sangh Parivar is the reported dissatisfaction among grassroots workers, who have complained that they are not being heard at the tehsil, police station and block levels. There are also allegations that some MLAs have not been adequately responsive to party workers.
"RSS functionaries are trying to persuade the workers and assure them that their concerns will be addressed as preparations for the elections continue," a senior BJP leader said.
Another challenge, according to the sources, is the Samajwadi Party's focus on caste mobilisation through its PDA strategy. The RSS and BJP are seeking to keep the electoral discourse focused on nationalism and Hindutva while retaining their support among OBC and Dalit communities, sources said.
Another challenge, according to the sources, is the Samajwadi Party pushing caste issues through its 'PDA' strategy. In response, the RSS and BJP are trying to keep the election focused on nationalism and Hindutva while also retaining their support among OBC and Dalit communities.
Meetings are being held across western Uttar Pradesh, Braj, Kanpur-Bundelkhand, Awadh, Gorakhpur and Kashi as the Sangh, BJP organisation and government simultaneously seek feedback from the ground.
Sources said key organisational and government decisions are being taken after consultations with eastern region regional pracharak Anil Kumar and western region regional pracharak Mahendra Kumar. Separate strategies are expected to be prepared for the state's six organisational regions based on the feedback collected from the ground.
According to political experts, BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the party's state general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh are consulting the regional pracharaks on political and organisational decisions concerning the party and government.
