RSS—decoding the silent work behind BJP’s high-voltage run that led to historic win in Bengal
The Statesman | 8 May 2026
While top leadership of the BJP—Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah—led from the front, strategising and holding high-voltage campaigns and rallies, it was the party’s ideological fountainhead, RSS, whose pivotal behind-the-scenes role ensured that the BJP’s victory became as massive as it did.
“Remember,” explains a Sangh leader who did not wish to be identified, “we are not a political organisation. The RSS is a socio-cultural organisation, which was there working in the East and Northeast even when the BJP was nowhere near power.
“Number two, the RSS has always said that it will lend help to anyone helping in its cause. Number three, while RSS cadres can be from the BJP, it is not necessary that all BJP cadres are from the RSS. Last, but most importantly, the region already had a history of Hindu socio-religious and nationalist organisations dating back to the 19th century—groups that focused on spiritual reform, social service, and also, revolutionary nationalism,” he adds
In other words, even when the BJP wasn’t politically popular, RSS cadres were present on the ground, doing their normal, natural work, which later helped the BJP in the grassroots outreach focused on Hindu consolidation and fear-free voting. When, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the RSS reportedly stepped back a bit, the BJP had problems reaching the halfway mark.
“We were already there, working on the ground at the grassroots, which helped minimise internal conflict between original BJP cadres and newcomers. The Sangh and affiliates function through direct meetings with people in homes, temples, and tea stalls, which helped the BJP politically,” the RSS leader adds
There are several affiliates of the Sangh that work silently and cohesively—like the Seemanta Chetana Mancha, which addressed issues of illegal immigration and national security in sensitive regions. “RSS cadres always reach out directly, encouraging voters to vote without fear of intimidation and ensuring their safety. Since the Hindu voting bloc was often divided by caste or class, the meetings helped strengthen the identity in regions like North Bengal, Jungle Mahal, and rural south Bengal,” say BJP sources.
Therefore, RSS cadres, who were already present on the ground, helped the BJP leadership read the people’s pulse. “See, we were there working on the ground even after the TMC won and supporting victims of post-poll violence through legal aid and rehabilitation. We were there long before, transforming the electoral consciousness, which enabled the BJP to convert into a decisive win. The organisation is founded on the ideals of ‘seva’ and spiritual awakening, and the region already has a history of organisations focused on ‘organising the Hindu masses’ and providing humanitarian aid and relief work, all rooted in the Vaishnava tradition,” according to Sangh leaders
Before the RSS, there was the Ramakrishna Mission—non-political, non-sectarian spiritual organisations engaged in various forms of humanitarian and social service activities for more than a century. Then there was Bharat Sevashram Sangha, a philanthropic and charitable organisation committed to improving the lives of the underprivileged.
During the early 20th century, many Hindu organisations in Bengal took on a militant or political character to oppose British rule, such as the Anushilan Samiti—an underground revolutionary society led by nationalists like Aurobindo Ghosh—which used Hindu symbolism and the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to inspire youths toward armed struggle against the British. Then there was the Hindu Mahasabha, in fact, several modern political movements trace their ideological roots back to the “cultural nationalism” established by these pre-independence organisations.