RSS, after the Maharashtra success, is strategising for Delhi elections, focusing on corruption and grassroots outreach.
New Delhi: After securing a victory with a huge margin in Maharashtra, the RSS, which played a key role in the BJP’s massive success, is gearing up for the high-stakes Assembly elections in Delhi, that are likely to take place in February 2025. Although the RSS, the ideological mentor and backbone of the BJP, stays away from political issues, it plays a crucial role in shaping the narrative, energising the cadre, and fostering the strong bond between the BJP and RSS. This alliance creates a powerful dynamic that can shift the balance in their favour, regardless of the challenges they may face.
With just two months remaining until the Delhi Assembly elections, the RSS cadre has already begun its preparations, assigning tasks and responsibilities among its members. A top source in the Sangh Parivar, on the condition of anonymity, said that right after the Maharashtra elections, the RSS-BJP duo started preparing for the Delhi Assembly elections and have already formulated a strategy.
According to the strategy prepared by them, issues such as corruption within the AAP, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s ‘Sheesh Mahal’, water and sanitation problems, outreach to slum areas, and presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants are likely to dominate the Delhi Assembly elections.
The Delhi BJP unit has already started working in this direction and is actively coordinating with the RSS. Sources aware of the matter confirm that several meetings have taken place between the Delhi BJP unit and RSS, during which the duo prepared the strategy and assigned tasks.
From the BJP side, the high-level meetings included Delhi BJP unit chief Virendra Sachdeva, MP Harsh Malhotra, Delhi State BJP General Secretary Pawan Rana, and National vice president and Delhi election in-charge Baijayant Panda. On the RSS side, the meetings were attended by RSS Delhi office-bearers Jatin (head of the North India division), Vishal (State RSS coordinator with the BJP), Dayanand (the main coordinator between BJP and RSS), RSS state general secretary Anil Gupta, and several others.
According to a source involved in these meetings, the strategy is to re-energise the cadre, beginning at the booth level and built the narrative from there, similar to the approach used during the Maharashtra elections.
“There are more than 13,000 booths in Delhi. So, we plan to organise three to four drawing-room level meetings per booth. The strategy is to begin from the grassroots level”, he said.
Given these numbers, more than 50,000 small level meetings are set to take place across the capital, a strategy that was seen during the Maharashtra polls as well. During Haryana elections as well, the RSS organised about 20,000 small gatherings, each involving 8 to 15 people.
It is important to note that this time, AAP is facing one of its biggest crises due to the corruption charges against the top leaders, including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, ex- deputy Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Satyendra Jain. All of them had to serve sentences and are now out on bail. This issue has been repeatedly raised by the BJP and has dented AAP’s clean image.