Advani out, RSS moves pracharaks to party

Having completed its initial agenda 8212; removal of L K Advani from the post of BJP president 8212; the RSS is set to consolidate its hold on the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Having completed its initial agenda 8212; removal of L K Advani from the post of BJP president 8212; the RSS is set to consolidate its hold on the Bharatiya Janata Party. It has deputed four new senior pracharaks to the BJP. The party has 31 pracharaks handling different jobs at the moment.

The timing of the move 8212; ahead of the completion of organisational polls 8212; is significant. The intention is to make them available to the new BJP president by the time he constitutes his fresh team of office-bearers some two months later. Since Rajnath Singh had refrained from carrying out any drastic changes after succeeding Advani, the RSS is pitching in for an overhaul manifesting the new balance of power.

The BJP national executive had amended the party constitution last May to create more slots for RSS pracharaks. To start with, two posts of secretaries for assisting general secretary organisation were created. The entire party structure is practically controlled by general secretary organisation 8212; a pracharak loaned by the RSS.

The amendment also divested state presidents of the power to change general secretaries organisation. This authority was vested only in the president.

The names of four inductees would appear obscure. Some of them, in accordance with a widely prevalent practice in the RSS, do not use their surnames. However, they are tipped for important assignments. The new-comers are Ram Lal, Santosh, Makhan Singh and Rakesh. Of these, Ram Lal is the senior-most. He is Kshetra pracharak of West north-central region of the Sangh. The RSS has divided the country in to 11 regions and 38 provinces. Santosh is being brought in from Karnataka. Rakesh is currently stationed at Gorakhpur. Makhan Singh is based in Madhya Pradesh.

The current trend, of an increasing RSS control, marks a reversal of the process initiated by former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to transform the BJP into a liberal rightist outfit. Advani, once the key protagonist of aggressive Hindutva, became a convert to this creed later. With current party chief Rajnath Singh too ready to abide by Sangh dictates, the latest infusion of RSS pracharaks is just a precursor to what is expected to follow.