RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on next BJP president: ‘If we were to decide, would it have taken so long?'

Mohan Bhagwat was asked about talk that there are differences between the Narendra Modi-led government of the BJP and its ideological mentor body RSS

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the BJP and the organisation he leads can differ in opinion, but their objectives are in sync. He was also asked pointedly if it's the RSS that decides the president and roadmap for the country's ruling BJP.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed a press conference as part of events to marks 100 years of the organisation, in New Delhi on Thursday. (PTI)

“This is a completely wrong notion. It cannot happen,” was the first bit of his response as he replied to the pre-submitted question at a press conference.

Then he reasoned: “I have been running a shakha for 50 years now, so if someone gives me advice about that, I am the expert there. When it comes to running the State, they have been doing it for long, so they are the expert.” Suggestions can be given, he added, “but the decision in their field is theirs, and ours in our field.”

After this, he took a pause before adding, “If we were deciding, would it have taken so long?”, and broke into a smile as the audience clapped and laughed.

“We don't decide. We don't want to decide. Take your time!” the RSS chief further said on the subject, asking the event coordinator to “move on to the next thing”.

There has been speculation about who the next BJP president will be — including more recently around union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's meeting with Bhagwat — but concrete information has not emerged.

Theories abounded in July, too, after the party appointed unit chiefs in six states and UTs, that the party could give the chiefship to a woman for the first time.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Andhra Pradesh leader D Purandeswari's names came up, as did of another leader from southern India, Vanathi Srinivasan, who is the BJP women's wing chief.

On the RSS role in the BJP, and its previous iteration Bharatiya Jana Sangh, leaders on either side have said the RSS provides ideological guidance as head of the Sangh parivar (family or collective of organisations) but does not decide operational matters.

At his press conference as part of events to mark the centenary year of the RSS, Mohan Bhagwat touched upon this: “We help whoever seeks help for good work. You see only one party. But our cadres do help even in party work when directed by the Sangh.”