The rift between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has become increasingly apparent following the recent Lok Sabha elections. After RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat criticized the BJP's performance, several RSS-affiliated publications have followed suit, offering harsh critiques of the party's lackluster performance. Previously, "Organiser," the RSS mouthpiece, analyzed the BJP's performance. Now, the RSS-affiliated weekly "Vivek" has echoed these sentiments, attributing the BJP's poor performance in Maharashtra to its alliance with Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The weekly also pointed to a lack of communication within the party, its workers, and the state government as contributing factors. The article is titled "The Worker is Not Disheartened but Confused!"
"Almost every party worker begins by criticizing the alliance with the NCP when discussing the reasons for the Lok Sabha failure or expressing their discontent and unease. It's clear that BJP workers did not favor the alliance with the NCP. BJP leaders are not unaware of this sentiment," the article states.
"Recently, Devendra Fadnavis himself addressed this in an interview. Party workers accepted the reuniting with the Shiv Sena, the internal rebellion within the Sena, and Eknath Shinde's swearing-in, as these events had a shared history of Hindutva and a longstanding alliance. However, the same sentiment shifted dramatically with the NCP's inclusion, exacerbated by the Lok Sabha results."
"Political leaders and parties have their own calculations and strategies, distinct from election politics. However, if these calculations appear flawed, the question arises of what to do next. While the inclusion of the NCP seems like the primary cause of unrest among workers, it's just the tip of the iceberg."
In Maharashtra, the BJP contested the Lok Sabha elections in alliance with Ajit Pawar's NCP and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena. Out of the 48 seats in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena won only 7 of the 15 seats it contested under Shinde's leadership. In contrast, the undivided Shiv Sena had won 23 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Ajit Pawar's NCP managed to win only one out of the four seats it contested.
The article also claims that the BJP is the only party that follows a natural process of elevating workers to leaders. However, it expresses concerns that this process is being sidelined, stating, "Today, there is a need to comprehensively evaluate the place of the original party worker and those who have joined from outside. This doesn't mean everyone from outside is wrong. Many are working effectively for the organization and its ideology."
Critics who accuse the BJP of party-splitting have themselves engaged in similar activities in Maharashtra. However, if the narrative of "outsiders in BJP" is being successfully propagated among grassroots workers by the opposition, it warrants serious consideration. The article also questions whether the BJP's narratives of the Emergency struggle and the Ram Temple movement will resonate with young voters in the upcoming October assembly elections.
"The narrative we present to the educated class with a certain thought process is also crucial. While there is respect for the sacrifices and bloodshed during the Emergency and the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, and immense joy at the construction of the Ram Temple, how effective will these issues be for voters under 45? Even a staunch Hindutva voter might not relate to references from 30-40 years ago," the article concludes.