Lok Sabha Poll Results: A Reality Check for BJP’s Overconfidence – RSS Mouthpiece
New Delhi, 12th June 2024: The recent Lok Sabha election results have served as a wake-up call for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), revealing an overconfidence among its workers and leaders who relied too heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity while losing touch with grassroots realities, according to the latest edition of the RSS organ ‘Organiser’, reports Mohua Chatterjee.
In an article titled ‘Modi 3.0: Conversation for Course Correction,’ RSS member Ratan Sharda highlights the disconnect between BJP leaders and the organization’s volunteers. The article comes amid ongoing discussions about RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent speech, where he emphasized that a “true sevak (servant) has no ego (ahankar)”. Modi has long referred to himself as the “pradhan sevak” or chief servant.
Sharda’s piece criticizes BJP leaders for failing to engage RSS ‘swayamsevaks’ (volunteers) in their electoral efforts, despite the fact that the RSS is not officially a “field force” for the BJP. During the campaign, BJP President J.P. Nadda had asserted in a media interview that the party had grown strong enough to manage its affairs independently of the RSS.
Reflecting on the election outcome, Sharda stated, “The results of the 2024 general elections have come as a reality check for the overconfident BJP karyakartas (workers) and many leaders. They did not realize that PM Narendra Modi ji’s call for 400-plus seats was both a target for them and a challenge to the opposition.”
Sharda, who has authored multiple books on the RSS, pointed out that electoral success is achieved through hard work in the field rather than by sharing posters and selfies on social media. “Since they were content in their bubble, basking in the glow of Modi ji’s aura, they failed to listen to the voices on the streets,” he added.
Addressing the issue of RSS involvement in the BJP’s campaign, Sharda bluntly remarked, “RSS is not a field force of BJP. BJP has its own karyakartas. If BJP volunteers don’t reach out to RSS, they must answer why they thought it was unnecessary.”
