NEW DELHI: Ratan Sharda, a long-term RSS Swayamsevak 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.
An article by Ratan Sharda, long term RSS Swayamsevak 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. It was a target for them to work for. Similarly, it was a dare to disturb opposition. It worked because the opposition was busy fighting the idea of 400+ rather than talking of its own target. However, BJP lower rung leaders thought they could breeze through the elections riding on Modi ji’s broad shoulders and show off their work only with selfies and posters. Social Media and Society in reality are not the same. Number of people is a fraction of common people in the society. This is where slippage happened.
Any citizen and worker is aware that getting through to MPs and MLAs, leave alone the ministers, is a very difficult task, getting their problems solved is another matter. Very rare leaders and MPs have open doors and time for their voters and workers. This is the reason why any misleading propaganda against the party works very easily. And there is no sense of ownership of the local MPs and MLAs. This becomes a serious issue in tough elections.
Q. Do you believe the RSS has taken a back seat in guiding the government’s direction?
A. RSS never took front seat in any government. It only shares suggestions with the governments like any other organisation and NGO. Being members of ‘vaicharik parivar’ they get a better hearing when they share ideas from the organisation. Governance is purely the prerogative of the BJP. Accepting RSS views is also their prerogative as they have to run a political party and a government, they have their own way of prioritisation.
Q. What are your thoughts on the relationship between the BJP and RSS, especially in light of recent statements by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat?
A. Relationship between BJP and RSS remains good. They belong to the same philosophical background. Both have worked together many times. As members of the same ideological family, they share views. They share their concerns and discussions are held to find ways of working better. This will continue. Bhagwat ji has made bi-partisan statement, not just for BJP. Fake News propaganda, deep fakes were used to spread discontent and divide the Hindu society by Congress and its allies. Arrogance has been shown by Congress before elections, during elections and post elections. His advice for both sides is that we are competitors not enemies.. Once the election is over, we should calm down and work for the nation. I think, every- one in the parivar will take it in the right spirit.
Q. Concerns about inaccessible MPs and MLAs, as well as arrogant ministers, have been acknowledged widely. Did the RSS communicate these concerns to the BJP, and were their recommendations taken into account?
A. This question has been raised by you earlier too. I think this is a known fact. Modi ji has time and again directly and indirectly told his MPs and MLAs to reach out to people. It is not happening in a very large number of cases and it is seen to impact election results when chips are down. This also results in lack of feedback from the ground. Thus, it is the arrogance of the local representative that is seen. I hope they learn the lessons.
Q. How was the statement made by BJP’s party president, JP Nadda, during the elections – that the BJP doesn’t need the RSS – received within RSS circles?
A. A thinking swayamsevak has taken this statement in the right spirit as RSS has been telling its allied organisations to have their own cadre, full time workers and programmes. I have written about this autonomy much earlier in 2008-09 in my book – ‘RSS360’. And later too. There are many mass organisations inspired by Sangh and most of them are on their own after initial support given by RSS. BJP too has been able to create its own organisation, cadre and full time workers and this is an ideal situation.
However, the timing was wrong. Expression required more finesse. Today people and even RSS BJP workers decide their views based on a small 30 sec clip not bothering to watch or hear the entire statement or interview, and go by the headline without clicking on the content. In that way, the ground worker felt that they were not required. I have heard this from many swayamsevaks.
Q. What factors led the BJP, known for its strict standards in inducting new leaders, to nominate over 25 percent of contestants who were termed as ‘seasonal migrants’ and some even ‘tainted’ as you have mentioned? What motivated the party to be so generous in granting tickets to such individuals?
A. This is a question that only BJP leadership can respond to. I cannot.
Q. In your opinion, does the BJP require significant course correction, or do you see the current situation as a normal period of turbulence?
A. BJP requires course correction in training and educating its younger new age volunteers and leaders about the sacrifice and hard work put in by its earlier workers and leaders that has brought BJP where it is. Because they have only seen success. And they have been enamoured by Social Media (SM). SM is not a society. They need to be trained about reaching out to people on ground and re-open two way communication. The selfie workers need to become self conscious humble karyakartas. It is not a major or significant correction. For BJP it is a very easy exercise and I am sure they will successfully do it. Yes, it is a turbulence and a caution sign. It will help them equip themselves better for coming tougher, dirtier political battles and war of ideas about our civilisational nation and western sterile concept of our nationhood.