RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat wants Modi government to make 'perceptional correction'

NEW DELHI: Shocked after BJP’s rout in the Delhi assembly polls, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat met senior Sangh leaders in Delhi and asked them why the cadre failed to read the mood of the people. He is believed to be distressed about the “disconnect” of BJP workers with voters and also wants the party to make “perceptional correction”. In Delhi for a few hours on Thursday, he met senior leaders, including Dattatreya Hosabale, Dr Krishna Gopal, Ramlal, Suresh Soni and Manmohan Vaidya, at the RSS office in Keshav Kunj, Jhandewalan.

“Sarsanghchalak ji has been distressed by the results. He has noted that perception of the people about the government is becoming negative with reports that it is seen as antipoor and pro-corporates. He wants it to be altered and that can only be done by the person leading the government,” a Sangh leader told ET. RSS had put all its might behind the Delhi BJP, which was not a cohesive unit due to years of infighting.

“Till the end, the cadres reported a tough fight but nobody could see the thrashing that the party got,” the leader said. More than the loss itself, the RSS chief was concerned about the fact that BJP leaders and local workers, were not clued into the ground reality and failed to foresee the strong rejection by the people of the Capital. “RSS karyakartas had been brought in two months before the polls.

First there were 70 who took charge of each assembly constituency. They sent us reports of infighting and how party workers were divided and demoralised. RSS pushed in more people, and towards the end, there were more than 70,000 RSS workers on the ground. But it was probably too late,” the Sangh leader explained. RSS has asked Ramlal, BJP organisational secretary, who coordinates between the Sangh and the party, to go into the causes of the defeat and prepare a report.

He has been meeting all candidates who lost to get their feedback. Sources said the report was likely to be ready by February 15 when the Sangh brass will meet BJP’s poll committee to analyse the debacle. “Bhagwat ji may not attend that meeting. He does not like to be seen as taking interest in day-to-day affairs of the party,” another leader said.