Dattatreya Hosabele set to replace Suresh “Bhaiyyaji” Joshi, RSS seeks for 2 new joint gen secys

NEW DELHI: Changes in the organisational hierarchy of RSS are in the offing at the next All India Pratinidhi Sabha (AIPS) to be held in March this year. Dattatreya Hosabele, currently joint general secretary in RSS, will be promoted to the position of general secretary in the organisation. He will be replacing Suresh “Bhaiyyaji” Joshi who currently occupies this position, considered to be the second-in-command in RSS after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

According to top sources in the Sangh, the announcement will also see a domino effect on the third layer of the hierarchy, the joint general secretaryship where two vacancies may be filled up with new entrants. “Sangh responsibilities (except that of Sarsanghchalak) rotate every three years. Bhaiyyaji will move out from the position, but will remain important in the decision making process of the Sangh, much like HV Seshadri was in the past,” said a source.

Hosabele’s elevation will be interesting for BJP-Sangh relations since he has studiously avoided holding any position of interlocutor between the Sangh and BJP in the past. “He had been offered the position held by Suresh Soni and now Krishna Gopal, that of co-ordinating between RSS and BJP, but had twice refused it,” said the source.

“As second-in-command in the Sangh he will have to build political relationships, an assignment which took its toll on Madan Dass Devi’s health during the Vajpayee era, and didn’t leave Suresh Soni untouched by scandal either,” said the source. Hosabele’s proposed elevation has set off a hunt for at least two new joint general secretaries — to be appointed in March.

One would replace Hosabele and the other, ex-joint general secretary KC Kannan who left the post for matrimony. “ABVP wants a fresher crop here, possibly not from the south that has a high representation in the Sangh,” added the source. As of now, Suresh Soni, Suresh Ketkar and Krishna Gopal are the other joint general secretaries.