With the BJP's Lok Sabha tally going down in its third term, the importance of the RSS will automatically go up. In a recent interview, BJP National President JP Nadda said that his party had become so strong that it doesn't need the RSS anymore.
The RSS is the spiritual parent of the BJP. For decades, its activists played a crucial role in supporting its organizational strength. Under the leadership of Modi, the BJP became so strong that it stopped relying on the RSS on the ground.
But now, the prominence of RSS will go up at least pscyhologically. The RSS is very good at keeping the upper-caste flock together. So, Nadda was wrong in saying that the RSS' help is no longer required.
In 2004, the RSS cadres didn't campaign for the BJP enthusiastically. As a result, the NDA lost. Otherwise, it had a good chance of becoming the single largest party. Such is the importance of the organization in the political history of India. Modi and JP Nadda may have realized it the hard way.
