RSS pitches hard in UP in view of assembly polls 2017

Lucknow: In order to lend helping hand to beleaguered Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh, the top brass of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has pitched in hard in the state in view of the assembly polls in 2017.

The RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat , who is on three-day stay in the state capital, gave a pep talk to the cadre including 'Pracharaks' even as another senior functionary of the organisation Hasbole Dattatreya has been stationed in Lucknow till the assembly polls are over,rather unusual.

Trying to recover from the jolt of Bihar assembly where the loss to BJP was largely attributed to the statement of RSS chief about reservation beside the routine caste equations there, the seniors of the organisation have been holding brain storming sessions with its cadre.

A fresh exercise is being launched to integrate various Hindu ideologies in the wake of controversy over chanting of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' with an eye over the assembly polls. ''The idea is to unite the Hindus in a way it may help the consolidation among the saffron forces which in turn positively impact the election outcome,'' A senior BJP leader of the state close to RSS told 'newztrack.com.

Admitting that never before a senior functionary like Dattatreya, believed to be holding third position in RSS hierarchy, is stationed at any place other than Nagpur for a longer period, a BJP leader said it spoke of the priority RSS accorded to Up Assembly polls. Mohan Bhagwat, who came to Lucknow on Sunday evening will also remain here for three days,sensitizing the cadre and meeting the senior BJP leaders discussing varuious aspects of the election preparedness.

It is no secret that RSS workers had played a major role, though from the background, in the Lok Sabha polls of 2014 in which the BJP had swept Uttar Pradesh bagging 73 out of 80 seats from the state. The RSS and BJP, however, are aware that it could also happen due to Muzaffarnagar riots and subsequent polarization of Hindu votes. How does the RSS play its cards to effect another round of Hindu consolidation ahead of UP polls remains to be seen but the saffron brigade looks adamant on not letting the biggest state out of hands