Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attributing the BJP victory in bye-elections in his state to Narendra Modi and hailing him as the visionary leader leaves no space for any doubt that the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Modi have opted for cease fire in the interest of the saffron organisation. Yogi’s remark is quite diplomatic but also significant as the top leaders of RSS well ahead of the formal announcement of the by-polls had entrusted Yogi with the task to strategise the campaign and also to lead it from the front to the elections. It obviously had made it explicit that Yogi was not to take orders from Modi and he was not his boss.
With Modi and Amit Shah intensifying their attack on Yogi and planning to remove him from the office, it had become imperative for Yogi to win the by-elections for exhibiting his authority and have a firm control on the state politics. By assigning him as the task master, the RSS had sent the message to all the members of the saffron ecosystem. that Yogi can not be touched by Modi-Shah.
Yogi endowed with this calibrated task did everything to demonstrate his Hindutva relevance and outplay Modi. His administration sent a clear and cryptic message to the district officials to ensure that the BJP candidates from their areas win the elections or be ready to face the music. UP police turning hysterical and threatening the Muslims to keep away from the polling booths on the day of polling, manifested this threat. No matter the administration suspended some of the police personnel, it was merely an eye wash.. It is an open secret no officer, whether is from general administration or police, would like to stake his livelihood for protecting the democracy and maintaining the sanctity of the electoral process. They did what they were asked to do. .
Though in UP, Yogi played down the difference between RSS and Modi, the war place has shifted to Maharashtra. The campaigning had picked up and RSS came out with its own strategy just a week ahead of the polling day.. It had sidelined Modi was also evident from the fact that Modi left on foreign visit just in the middle of the campaigning, barely four days ahead of the election.
Their difference is also perceptible on the issue of the new chief minister in Maharashtra. While Modi, Amit Shah, Nadda and Rajnath Singh are for continuing Eknath Shinde, RSS has categorically told the BJP leaders that repeat “sacrifice” of the chief minister’s chair is not acceptable. They have their argument that Shinde would prove to be a major problem for RSS and BJP in future and it is not sure that he would not join hands with the opposition.
It reminded BJP leaders that Fadnavis had sacrificed the post in the interest of the party and party must return the favour. In a major turn the RSS leadership has made aware the BJP leaders that in case Fadnavis loses out, the RSS would prefer to have him replace current BJP national president, J P Nadda. Significantly on Sunday, Fadnavis reminded the people and also BJP cadres of his “sacrifice” in a post on X with a hint that he deserved a reward. His post read; “Victory of sacrifice, victory of patience, victory of loyalty, victory of Maharashtra”.
RSS cadres were only concerned of the BJP victory in assembly election. For them the outcome of the by election from Nanded did not have any relevance. It is quite significant that at the time when the BJP was sweeping across Maharashtra, the Congress won the Nanded seat with comfortable margin. It also signifies that Modi has turned electorally irrelevant and RSS is no more willing to carry him.
While BJP swept Maharashtra, it won seven out of nine seats in UP by polls and won all four seats in Bihar. Samajwadi party, a member of INDIA bloc lost even in its stronghold. Besides Kundarki and Katehari, the Samajwadi Party was also defeated in five seats; Meerapur, Majhawan, Ghaziabad, Khair and Phulpur. It alleged the results were managed and controlled by the BJP through the administration. In Bihar even the CPI(ML) could not retain its base seat Tarari.
Party chief Akhilesh Yadav termed the bypolls as the most distorted form of electoral politics. In a post on X, he wrote, “The tricks of those who have made ‘election’ synonymous with ‘corruption’ have been captured in photographs and exposed before the world. Now the real struggle has begun… clench your fist, tighten your fist and make the PDA’s proclamation ‘Judenge to Jeetenge!”
These election results signal serious warning to the INDIA bloc and especially its leader Rahul Gandhi. SP-Congress combine had bagged SC votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by focussing on their agenda ‘Samvidhan Bachao’. But this time the strategy did not work. In 2022, the BJP had won only two of these nine seats while the SP bagged five. The RLD and another BJP ally, the Nishad Party, had won one each.
It would be naïve to construe that Adityanath’s controversial warning to Hindus that “Batenge toh katenge (Divided, we’ll be slaughtered)” — which became the catch-line of the by-elections and in Maharashtra and Jharkhand worked magic and polarised Hindus. It was RSS strategy to reach out to every house and accompany the voters to the polling booths that changed the scenario. It is quite noticeable that RSS brought about complete change in the electoral process just two days ahead of the polling day. Till November 20, the INDIA bloc was sure of victory in Maharashtra and winning the byelection. But unprecedented mobilization of RSS turned the tide in favour of Mahayuti in the last minute. (IPA Service)
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