'RSS Chief's Guj visit likely to impact Bengal elections'

With local self-government body and assembly elections in Gujarat and Bengal knocking at the door, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's visit to Rajkot is likely to benefit BJP. During his week-long visit in Gujarat, Bhagwat will discuss RSS's ongoing activities in the state and hold separate meetings with key functionaries.

Rajkot: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat arrived at Rajkot in Gujarat on Friday as part of his week-long visit to the state. The state election commission will soon announce the dates for six municipal corporation elections.

Bhagwat is scheduled to hold meetings with workers and office-bearers of the RSS in the state and Saurashtra region on Saturday and Sunday. The RSS supremo would also discuss the issue of migrant labourers who were forced to get back to their native places during the coronavirus pandemic.

He will review the work done by Sangh leaders during the coronavirus crisis, the condition of migrant workers, the reason why they were forced to flee from Gujarat, loss of lives and their present condition. He is also likely to advise the RSS leaders on the steps needed to be taken on the same.

With the elections to the local self-government bodies in Gujarat around the corner and the assembly elections in West Bengal, the visit of Mohan Bhagwat to discuss the problems of migrant workers is expected to benefit the BJP not only in West Bengal but in other states as well.

A large number of migrant workers are engaged in most of the industrial units in Rajkot and other districts of Saurashtra. There are an estimated 100,000 skilled labourers from Bengal employed in the jewellery manufacturing units in Rajkot which is famous the world over for its jewellery.

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Senior journalist of Rajkot Sunil Joshi told ETV Bharat, "Visit of RSS chief would be a part of social engineering design of RSS. It will benefit BJP in the upcoming elections. RSS never openly campaigns in the elections. For Mohan Bhagwat, election to the local bodies may be of less importance. However, his Rajkot visit is considered important for the coming local body election."

Talking to ETV Bharat, Rajkot Chamber of Commerce vice president Parth Ganatra said there are an estimated one million migrant workers engaged in industrial units in Saurashtra. He said that during the coronavirus pandemic, over 3 million migrant workers had fled Gujarat.

The RSS had held a three-day meeting with leaders of like-minded organizations at an all-India coordination committee meeting in Karnavati University in Gandhinagar from 5 to 7 January in the presence of BJP national president J P Nadda.

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