BJP appeases RSS, appoints Sangh-linked individuals to key positions

Lucknow: In a move seen as a bid to quell dissatisfaction within its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has made significant appointments of Sangh-affiliated individuals to important commissions, corporations and boards.

Notably, 40% of the positions in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) Commission and Scheduled Castes (SC) Commission of the state are now occupied by individuals with a background in the RSS.

It has long been speculated that RSS members in UP were unhappy with the BJP, particularly after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the Sangh’s grassroots workers were reportedly less active in campaigning for the party. This discontent is believed to have contributed to the BJP’s underwhelming performance in the state.

To address this, the BJP has begun prioritising RSS loyalists in key organisational roles. The latest appointments to the SC and OBC commissions are part of a broader strategy to resolve internal tensions before crucial upcoming by-elections for 10 Assembly seats in the state.

In the SC commission, the chairman, Baidyanath Rawat, is a long-time volunteer of the RSS, having been trained in 1985. Other key appointees include vice-chairman Bechan Ram and members Vinay Ram, Mithai Lal, and Ajay Kori — all of whom have strong ties to the Sangh. Of the 20 positions in the SC Commission, eight are now held by Sangh-affiliated individuals.

The OBC commission follows a similar trend. Vice-chairman Sohanlal Shrimali and members Vinod Singh Patel, Vinod Yadav, Kuldeep Vishwakarma, Ashok Singh and Chaudhary Laxman Singh all have RSS backgrounds. Ten of the 24 positions in this commission are occupied by individuals from the Sangh.