Polls near, RSS meet to chart victory course

The meeting on the 6th is for the RSS top brass while that on the 7th will be attended by about 29 others, including head pracharaks and other top leaders of select organisations like the VHP. Among them would be star campaigner Pravin Togadia and strategist Sanjay Joshi from Gujarat. Ashok Singhal won’t be coming, Vaidya told The Indian Express.

About the possible agenda, Vaidya said: ‘‘It’s a routine bi-monthly meeting. There aren’t going to be any secret talks.’’

When specifically asked if post-Gujarat strategy and Ram Mandir will dominate the proceedings, Vaidya said: ‘‘Gujarat is not our subject. About Ram Mandir, if many leaders are coming, obviously they aren’t coming here just for a sumptuous meal.’’

Observers, however, believe the meeting will discuss names of the persons to be put at the helm in states where elections are due this year. ‘‘The J-K disaster was due to lack of coordination among various RSS fronts just as the Gujarat success was due to excellent coordination. The meetings will deliberate on who, like Modi, could produce the Gujarat-like effect in these states,’’ said a source.

Dilip Deodhar, who has done a SWOT assessment of the RSS, said: ‘‘They can ill-afford poor coordination at this juncture. The growing schism between Prime Minister Vajpayee and the VHP is another point of worry for the RSS bosses.’’

Meanwhile, the RSS doesn’t seem to endorse Togadia and Singhal’s observations seeking to reduce Muslims to being second-class citizens. ‘‘As far as the RSS is concerned, we only feel that no community should get a first-class-first citizenship because of being in minority,’’ was Vaidya’s careful response to a specific query.