RSS asks BJP not to take AAP lightly

Hyderabad,  With an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, RSS has cautioned the BJP not to be complacent about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is growing in strength after its success in Delhi.

Sources said the AAP phenomenon figured at a three-day meeting of RSS, BJP's ideological mentor, near Hyderabad, which ended this evening.

For the record, both RSS and the BJP, however, denied that any such discussion took place in which the AAP phenomena figured.

BJP President Rajnath Singh Thursday held confabulations with top brass of the RSS and key Sangh Parivar outfits as part of the exercise to fine-tune the party's strategy for the 2014 general elections.

RSS leaders are believed to have done some plain talk on the emergence of AAP during the interactions at the biennial meet of the Sangh fountainhead at Shamirpet on the outskirts here, an event kept out of bounds for the media.

Sources say the Sangh was reportedly concerned about the surge in popular support for AAP across the country, particularly in the urban centres, after the recent assembly elections.

It was never discussed. No discussion in this regard took place. Sangh Sarsanchalak did not say anything like this, RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said when asked about Mohan Bhagwat reportedly asking BJP not to take AAP lightly ahead of polls.

Sudhanshu Trivedi, the BJP Spokesperson and adviser to BJP Chief said, Whatever issues are being raised are baseless. Sangh never talks about political issues nor does it give any such advice. It only gives guidance on organisational and ideological issues.

I have talked to party president Rajnath Singh and he said no political discussion has taken place during the convention and only organisational matters were discussed.

While BJP won in three states, it could not get a clear majority in Delhi due to the splendid performance of AAP, which is now planning to go nation-wide after initiating a slew of measures aimed at battling corruption and improving civic amenities in the Capital.

AAP's growing profile has upset the electoral calculations of BJP as it was seeing itself as a natural beneficiary of the anti-incumbency mood against the Congress prevailing in the country.

Bhagwat and key office-bearers of the Sangh, in addition to organising secretaries of parivar outfits attended the meet which reviewed organisational matters and other issues. According to sources, besides RSS, key leaders of ABVP, VHP, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh presented their latest report cards detailing the respective activities undertaken by them. These activities (meeting) are mainly meant for exchange of views, a RSS functionary said.