RSS, saffron party to brainstorm on poll strategy, nominees from today

Sumedha Sharma & Pradeep Sharma

Gurugram, August 21

In the backdrop of its below-par performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Haryana, the ruling BJP and its parent organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), are set to hold a two-day brainstorming session here from tomorrow to finetune its election strategy for the October 1 state Assembly polls.

A “larger role for the RSS” in the election campaign and shortlisting of candidates, especially those tracing their roots to the RSS, for the Assembly polls are set to be high on agenda of the crucial meet, an RSS functionary told The Tribune on the condition of anonymity, adding that the exercise was part of a regular interaction with the BJP.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, state BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Rao Inderjit Singh and general secretary (organisation) Phaninder Nath Sharma, besides members of the state election committee and RSS leaders will be in attendance at the meeting in Gurugram tomorrow.

With no unanimity on the inclusion of “RSS-backed” nominees in the BJP's proposed list of candidates for the Assembly polls, the meeting will discuss prospective names, besides better coordination between the two organisations for the Assembly polls. In view of the reported lack of coordination between the RSS and the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, the saffron party conceded five out of 10 seats to the Congress.

Late last week, coordination meetings between senior leaders of the two organisations were held at Faridabad, apparently to strike a consensus over candidates and define the role of the RSS in the Assembly polls.

It is learnt that both RSS and the BJP had prepared their separate lists of candidates based on ground surveys at the Faridabad meeting. The RSS list, it is believed, consisted of two choices each for all 90 Assembly segments while the BJP has its own separate list of probables.

The RSS reportedly took strong exception to sidelinling of its senior RSS-backed leaders, including a former BJP chief, during the Lok Sabha polls which led to party’s poor performance. “This time candidates will be the key. We have prepared a list of people who stand a chance to win in all Assembly segments. The majority of existing MLAs and even ministers have strong anti-incumbency against them. The party needs to field people who have worked on the ground and have voters’ goodwill. We want priority to be given to political stature and winnability,” said a senior RSS functionary who attended the Faridabad meeting.

Morevoer, certain recommendations of the Faridabad coordination meetings such as a larger role for Rao Inderjit Singh in South Haryana and handling of the media by RSS workers would also be taken up at the Gurugram meeting.

Meanwhile, Badoli said: “The RSS is a non-political organisation and it never pushes for any candidature list. We have an election committee and a democractic system where we take feedback and suggestions on all candidates. In these meetings also, feedback and suggestions were shared. The candidates are decided by consensus keeping all factors in mind,” he added.