Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: What Role Will The RSS Play This Time?

With the Maharashtra assembly elections approaching on November 20, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has begun a significant outreach programme aimed at building support for the BJP-led alliance. The RSS, known for being the ideological backbone of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has coordinated efforts with its various affiliates across the state.

According to the Deccan Herald report, teams known as 'tolis' have been set up throughout Maharashtra. These teams are reaching out to people in their local areas to communicate their message. Each team conducts small group meetings with five to 10 participants and engages with families in their communities, or 'mohallas.'

In these meetings, while the teams do not explicitly promote the BJP, they influence public opinion by discussing topics such as national interest, Hindutva, good governance, development, and local societal issues. Before launching this initiative, RSS officials and affiliates held coordination meetings at various levels in the state to plan their strategy.

This outreach effort follows the BJP's recent success in the Haryana assembly elections, where the party achieved its best-ever result, winning 48 out of 90 seats. As per the sources mentioned in the Deccan Herald, similar "drawing room meetings" in Haryana played a crucial role in shaping public sentiment and securing votes for the BJP.

In Haryana, RSS teams conducted over 1,25,000 small group meetings, addressing issues such as the previous Congress government's policies and engaging with farmers to gain their support. The RSS's strong community presence and long-standing relationships with local residents contributed to this success.

In light of the BJP's less-than-ideal performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections-where its seats fell from 23 to nine in Maharashtra-this new outreach approach has reinvigorated the party's workers. Many in the BJP believe that replicating the successful strategy from Haryana could yield positive results in Maharashtra.

While the RSS asserts that it does not directly involve itself in electoral politics, it is widely seen as a significant force behind the BJP during elections. The stakes are high for the BJP and its allies in the upcoming assembly polls, as the opposition coalition-comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP)-aims to regain power after a successful showing in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.