The anticipated meeting between Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat had to be deferred as several ‘political permutation and combinations’ were doing the rounds and neither of the side thought it wise to escalate the visible “rift” and difference of opinion post the Lok Sabha results between the ruling BJP and the Sangh parivar.
Sources said the meeting between the two did not take place on Saturday due to the "tight schedule of the RSS chief." This would have been their first interaction since the Lok Sabha election results were declared on June 4.
Sources indicated that Bhagwat, who was in Gorakhpur for an RSS event, was expected to meet Yogi, offering the CM moral support following a contentious election campaign where Arvind Kejriwal suggested that Yogi would be replaced post-election.
The Chief Minister's office clarified there was no scheduled meeting for today. "As Bhagwat is in Gorakhpur till June 17, they may meet tomorrow," a spokesperson said. However, Yogi’s arrival from Varanasi to Gorakhpur added fuel to the speculation about an imminent meeting.
The absence of this meeting is notable given Bhagwat's comments post-election, where he stressed that a true 'sevak' should not be arrogant and should serve people with dignity. These remarks followed the Narendra Modi-led-NDA Government's victory, securing a third term but with a reduced mandate.
The BJP suffered significant losses in Uttar Pradesh, dropping to 33 seats from 62 in 2019, a sharp decline from its 2014 peak of 72 seats out of 80. Thus, the optics of a Bhagwat-Yogi meeting carried substantial weight.
Bhagwat’s recent speech in Nagpur, implicitly criticising the election campaign's conduct, was seen as a precursor to this expected meeting.
He questioned the behaviour of political leaders and the erosion of decency during the campaign. Senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar was more explicit, criticising the party's perceived arrogance despite its devotion to Lord Ram, particularly in light of the Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya, which was expected to secure a landslide victory for the BJP.
During the election, the RSS was notably less engaged than usual. A report by The Pioneer on May 16 highlighted the RSS's apparent absence from the political scene in Uttar Pradesh, citing a decline in coordination meetings between RSS and BJP leaders.
A BJP leader noted that 'samanvayak baithaks' (coordination meetings) were once routine but had not occurred recently.
Some speculate that the RSS was displeased with the personality-centric campaign that elevated Modi's image. Others argue that the RSS cannot afford to distance itself from Modi, given his implementation of key Sangh agenda items like the Ram Temple construction, Article 370 revocation, and the potential Uniform Civil Code.
Despite these speculations, the RSS dismissed any notion of a rift with the BJP. Senior RSS leaders asserted that there was no split between the Sangh and the BJP, and that Bhagwat's comments were not directed at the party leadership or Prime Minister Modi. They described such interpretations as speculative and out of context.
"Bhagwat ji has always addressed issues of national importance in his speeches. Given the recent elections, he mentioned what he felt was best for society," an RSS leader explained.
Media speculation also surrounded Bhagwat’s presence in Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath’s home city. However, Bhagwat's visit to the Sangh Karyakarta Vikas Varg Camp at SVM Public School in the Chiutaha area was planned months in advance. Bhagwat had previously met with around 280 volunteer workers responsible for the Sangh's activities in Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, and Awadh districts. During the training session, Bhagwat emphasized the need to increase the number of branches and expand the organization, while also providing suggestions for various ongoing projects.
As of now, any meeting between Bhagwat and Yogi remains speculative, with the possibility of it occurring before Bhagwat’s departure on June 17.
