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HVK Archives: BJP gives RSS key role in organisation

BJP gives RSS key role in organisation - The Hindustan Times

Saroj Nagi ()
29 June 1997

Title: BJP gives RSS key role in organisation
Author: Saroj Nagi
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: June 29, 1997

In a move that has far-reaching implications in reinforcing the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh's influence with the Bharatiya Janata Party, the party
has amended its constitution to call for the appointment of only a
"full-time worker" as a general secretary in charge of the organisation.

In the RSS-BJP terminology a "full-time worker" or a "whole-timer" is a
"pracharak" of the sangh who is delegated to the BJP or another such
organisation and devotes himself totally to the propagation and spread of
the sangh ideology and organisation.

The amendment, which is yet to be ratified by the National Council as
required by the constitution, also stipulates-that the person so appointed
would not be eligible to contest elections for two years after vacating the
post.

Introduced into the party constitution without any fanfare or publicity,
the amendment significantly maintains that the appointment of a full-time
general secretary (organisation) be made in the part organisation starting
from the district to the state and the national levels. It paves the way
for the revival of the post of the organising secretary at the national
level wretch was there in the Ana Sangh, an earlier avatar of the BJP.

"Only a full-time worker will be appointed as general secretary
(organisation) at the national, state and district levels. For two years
after he leaves post, he will be debarred from contesting in any election,"
states the amendment.

Intended essentially to strengthen the nexus between the parent
organisation and its political arm, the amendment stems from the RSS-BJP
concern over the growing manifestations of indiscipline in the ranks on the
one hand, and on the other the corrosive effects of electoral and power
politics on many of its leaders, including those delegated from the RSS.

With the BJP becoming the single largest and leading Opposition party in
Parliament and the organisation unable to keep pace with the growing number
of recruits many former workers have not been able to resist the temptation
of fighting for office.

What perhaps shook the RSS-BJP chieftains was the fact that it was not so
much the newcomers or the fresh recruits to the party who were creating
problems for it, but trusted lieutenants and pa veterans who had come in
through the RSS. The happenings in Delhi and the searing experience in
Gujarat in particular, where the party split and a party veteran from the
RSS ranks, Mr S. S. Vaghela, raised the banner of revolt, shook both the
organisations.

Included in the Article which deals with the "Term of the President", the
amendment would provide the party chief -who himself draws sustenance from
the RSS with a handle for exercising direct control over the different
tiers of the organisation by placing these "full timers" at every level.

With the two year moratorium on contesting elections, the party seeks to
ensure total commitment from these inductees in streamlining the
organisation without being lured by prospects of personal or electoral gain.

Clearly, the existing provision in the party statute has failed to
effectively deal with the problem of keeping the organisation disciplined
and streamlined. For instance, in the sections dealing with the district
committees or the state executives, there are provisions for appointing a
general secretary (organisation) who can be chosen from outside the elected
members of committee and who would be given the status of a full member.
The amendment says that this office-bearers would be "whole-timer".

The amendment was suggested by a committee set up under the chairmanship of
Mr S. S. Bhandari to recommend changes in the constitution. The changes
were to be presented to the national council of the party which was slated
to meet at Thiruvananthapuram in early April. The meeting was cancelled
because of the crisis at the Centre following the Congress's decision to
withdraw support from the H.D. Deve Gowda Government. However, the changes
have been given effect by the BJP president in accordance with Article 31
of the party constitution.

According to the statute, "The constitution can be amended, altered and
added to, only by the national council of the party, provided that the
national executive shall have the powers to amend, alter and add to this
Constitution also.

"The changes so made by the executive shall be placed before the very next
session of the national council for ratification, but they may come in
operation even before such ratification from a date as may be prescribed by
the national executive," the constitution states. These amendments would
have to be ratified by the party's national council meeting expected to be
held later this year.

A part from this major amendment, among the other changes mooted in the
text are a reworked categorisation of the part's state unites at the mandal
and district levels depending on the number of Lok Sabha seats in a state.
Divided into three broad categories, these include states with five or less
Lok Sabha seats, those with 6 to 20 Lok Sabha seats and those with 21 or
more parliamentary constituencies.

The size of the committees for each of these categories of states has been
defind through the amendments to make them procedurally, administratively
and politically viable.


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