BJP’s longest-serving national general secretary (organisation), Ram Lal, has been removed from the post and appointed ‘Akhil Bharatiya Sahsampark Pramukh’ (co-convener of All India public relations) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Joint general secretary V Satish may replace him as BJP national general secretary (organisation).
The decision was reached at a three-day ‘Prantha Pracharak Baithak’ of the RSS in Vijayawada. A “pracharak” from western Uttar Pradesh, Ram Lal, replaced Sanjay Joshi in 2006. Though the talk of his going back to the RSS had been in the air for long, he remained in the post for want of a ‘decision’ at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur.
Ram Lal is known for his wide connects and organisational skills.
There were four national joint general secretaries (organisation) under Ramlal — V Satish, Saudan Singh, Shiv Prakash and BL Santhosh.
Arun Kumar, Akhil Bharatiya public relations chief, said, “He is no more with the responsibility of the BJP. He will be our all-India executive member looking after public relations. The decision was taken today at the conclusion of the three-day long meeting.”
“It is now for the BJP to decide on the next general secretary. We have followed our regular practice. These changes take place after some years, there is no specific reason behind this,” Kumar added.
The post of general secretary of the organisation is a key post that operates as a bridge between the BJP and the RSS . All the four RSS leaders holding organizational posts in the BJP work to bring ‘cohesion’ in the decision making process between the mother organization and its political army, that is the BJP. From time to time RSS withdraws its men from the BJP and brings them back in it own fold and appoints fresh ones.
General Secretary (O) is powerful in the BJP’s scheme of things and is supposed to be answerable to the RSS only.
The office of general secretary (Organisation) has been held in the past by veterans like Sundar Singh Bhandari, KN Govindacharya, and Sanjay Joshi.