BJP president Amit Shah met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat at the Sangh headquarters here Saturday, apparently to brief him on the organisational matters ahead of the completion of one year of the Narendra Modi government. Shah is the second senior BJP leader to have called on Bhagwat after Rajnath Singh who met him earlier this week.
Though there was no official word on both meetings from either the BJP or the RSS, Rajnath’s visit to the Sangh headquarters has fuelled speculation that he had voiced some reservation on the style of functioning and decision-making process of Shah, who is close to Modi. Shah, who was closeted with Bhagwat and other top RSS leaders for one-and-a-half hours, did not meet reporters to brief them on the subject.
However, according to RSS sources, Shah briefed the Sangh leaders about the “success and shortcomings” of the Modi government at the Centre in its first year in office. Organisational issues, including the challenges posed by the Opposition parties stepping up their attack on the BJP and ways to overcome them, figured in the discussion. The BJP is of the feeling that campaign mounted by Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi dubbing the party as “anti-poor and anti-farmer” was denting its image, ahead of the first anniversary celebrations of the government.