Today in Politics: In a first, PM Modi to visit RSS headquarters in Nagpur

“The PM will lay the foundation stone of the Madhav Netralaya Premium Centre building and share the dais with (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat during this event. The PM will also visit the Hedgewar Smruti Mandir, which is the RSS headquarters. After this, he will go to Deekshabhoomi, where B R Ambedkar and his followers embraced Buddhism,” Bawankule told The Indian Express.

The Hedgewar Smruti Mandir houses memorials dedicated to RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and the organisation’s second sarsanghchalak M S Golwalkar.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited the memorials in 2007 while attending the centenary celebrations for Golwalkar, but he had stepped down as the PM by then after the BJP lost the elections in 2004.

Modi last visited the RSS headquarters in July 2013 – he was still the Gujarat Chief Minister but had become the PM candidate ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls – for a meeting.

What makes Modi’s Sunday visit significant is the tensions seen in the BJP’s relationship with the Sangh before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with BJP chief J P Nadda’s interview to The Indian Express saying the party no longer required hand-holding by the RSS adding to them.

However, after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where the BJP was seen to have suffered because of the RSS keeping its distance, the two have ensured efforts to bridge the gap.

Later in the day, Modi will also visit Chhattisgarh to lay the foundation stone, initiate the commencement of work and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects – ranging from thermal power plants and gas pipelines to new road and rail networks to school and housing projects – worth more than Rs 33,700 crore on Sunday.

He will also address a public meeting in Bilaspur in what will be his first visit to the state after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Amit Shah in Bihar

With the Bihar Assembly polls approaching, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit the state for several public functions on Sunday.

After arriving in Bihar late on Saturday for meetings with party legislators and the state unit’s core committee, Shah will attend an event of the Cooperation Department in Patna before addressing a rally in the Gopalganj district.

Shah is also expected to meet Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar at his residence before returning to New Delhi.

The Union minister’s visit comes months ahead of the Assembly polls, which the party is expected contest in an alliance with the JD(U), besides smaller partners like the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Hindustani Awam Morcha, led by Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi, respectively.

– With PTI inputs