This is likely to diminish the organisation’s role in in micromanaging the BJP election campaign in State
By BIJU GOVIND
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has split its Kerala unit into south and north divisions, citing an increase in the number of shakhas (units) in the State.
The south division is from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam and the rest of the districts will be part of the north division.
This restructuring is likely to diminish the RSS’s role in micromanaging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)‘s campaign in Kerala, unlike in the past. Even then, the organisation is set to play a prominent role in facilitating the BJP to achieve its ambitious target of winning two to three seats from Kerala, sources said.
5,000 shakhas
Currently, there are over 5,000 shakhas in the State, and the RSS has plans to expand this to 8,000 by its centenary year in 2025. The neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka too have two units. The decision was taken at the annual three-day Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the RSS’s highest decision-making body, which concluded in Nagpur on Sunday.
This story was originally published in thehindu.com. Read the full story here.