By Kavita Mistry 
Lucknow: A series of Hindu sammelans, visits by ministers to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) state headquarters, and steps to ensure coordination were key priorities discussed during meetings between RSS and BJP functionaries in Lucknow this week.
BJP national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh and RSS joint secretary Arun Kumar concluded a two-day visit to Uttar Pradesh’s capital city Tuesday, during which they gathered feedback on organisational and government-related issues.
According to sources in Uttar Pradesh BJP, a proposal was discussed to organise the first large-scale Sammelan in Lucknow in line with the RSS’s centenary year celebrations.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is expected to be the main face at these events, and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is also likely to participate in one of them. The events are expected to take place in the major districts of the state.
A closed-door meeting Monday at the RSS UP headquarters, Bharti Bhawan in Lucknow, was attended by Arun Kumar, joint general secretary Atul Limaye, west zone pracharak Mahendra Sharma, east zone pracharak Anil Singh, and UP BJP general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh.
Later in the evening, a major meeting took place at Yogi Adityanath’s official residence. Apart from the chief minister, those present included B.L. Santhosh, Arun Kumar, Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary, Dharampal Singh, Mahendra Sharma and Anil Singh.
The leaders returned to Delhi Tuesday after another closed-door meeting at Bharti Bhawan.
The meetings are important as they show the RSS working more closely with the state government and signalling greater micromanagement ahead of the assembly polls in 2027.
Yogi at centre of strategy
The performance of UP BJP ministers was also reviewed during the meetings.
A UP BJP functionary present at one of these meetings told ThePrint the discussions mainly focused on Hindutva-related events, improving coordination between the RSS and the state government, and exploring possible organisational changes. The ministers in charge of districts were instructed to visit the Sangh office in their respective districts every month and hold separate coordination meetings with RSS at the local level.
Concerns were raised over the lack of interest shown by several MLAs towards the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list. Cabinet expansion and organisational changes were also discussed.
Another leader told ThePrint that Santhosh reviewed the performance of several ministers and gathered feedback at various levels. This will be conveyed to the central leadership. According to this leader, reshuffles are possible in both government and the organisation. New faces may be brought in, and some ministers may get new responsibilities.
He added that a joint strategy of the BJP and RSS is clear: development will remain the base in Uttar Pradesh, while Hindutva-related emotional issues will be highlighted. The upcoming Virat Hindu Sammelan in Lucknow is seen as the key part of this plan.
Before these crucial meetings, two other developments drew attention in the past few days. Between 18 and 26 November, RSS functionaries held a series of review meetings with ministers and bureaucrats in Lucknow.
And on 24 November, Yogi Adityanath met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Ayodhya for a nearly 90-minute closed-door discussion.
Senior BJP leaders in UP said a special strategy is being shaped with Yogi Adityanath at the centre, and the BJP-RSS is likely to move ahead with this approach in the coming years.
As the Opposition leans heavily on caste-based politics in UP through its PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) pitch, BJP-RSS has decided to sharpen the Hindutva agenda to consolidate the broader Hindu community.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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