Advani visit gives political twist to RSS Dussehra rally

Nagpur: Former deputy prime minister and veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna

Advani

’s visit to the city to attend the Vijayadashami rally of the RSS has given a political twist to the otherwise staid annual event. He landed in the city at 9.30pm on Friday along with daughter Pratibha and secretary Deepak Chopra.

It was being speculated that he would be driving straight to the RSS office at Mahal to meet its general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi. However, from the airport he headed to the residence of Chandrakant Thakar, a senior VHP patron, at Wardhaman Nagar, where he will be staying for the night.

Sangh observers are curious about the visit. More so, as Advani is coming to the city after a long gap. A diehard Sangh member all his life, Advani had taken with equanimity the RSS suggestion that looking to his age he should keep away from active politics or government responsibility, and play an advisory role instead.

His visit and a likely meeting with Sangh top leaders on Saturday may be aimed at sending a signal at a time when another senior BJP leader and ex-finance minister Yeshwant Sinha has declared in a column that the Modi government is a total failure on the economic front.

That signal, say sources, will be that though they are willing to listen to Modi’s detractors, there is no way they would abandon the Modi-Shah-Jaitely trio now. So, Advani may get an ear but the RSS may not give its heart out to him.

This stand may form the crux of Sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat’s customary address to the Vijayadashami rally, which is keenly watched for its political message. The RSS chief had in the past warned the country about China’s hegemonic proclivity and ambitions, which were vindicated in recent incidents in Bhutan. The peaceful resolution of the crisis could warrant a mention in his speech.

It will be interesting to see if Bhagwat holds a separate meeting with Advani on Saturday morning after the rally. The chances look remote as Advani has a plane to catch around 12noon. Independent sources indicated that Advani could push the case of his close associate S Gurumurthy of Swadeshi Jagran Manch for an important post in the Niti Aayog.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari, state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and other top politicians are expected to attend the rally. The chief guest at the function is Dalit religious leader Baba Nirmal Das who is the head of Sri Guru Ravidass Sadhu Sampraday Society in Jalandhar. Advani will be seated with them in the VIP gallery.