The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) carried out large-scale voter awareness campaigns across West Bengal during the run-up to the assembly polls while its volunteers held lakhs of small group meetings with people in every nook and cranny of the state, exhorting them to cast their vote without any fear this time.
According to sources, the RSS swayamsevaks (volunteers) also kept their ears to the ground and gave “valuable feedback” to the BJP on the “people’s pulse” and the “rival’s moves” to help the party fine-tune its poll strategy. “They really worked so hard,” a senior BJP leader told PTI, acknowledging the RSS volunteers’ contribution in the party’s success in breaching TMC fort in West Bengal.
While the counting of votes was still underway, the latest trends indicated that the BJP was poised to defeat the ruling TMC in West Bengal with its candidate winning seven seats and leading in 204 seats in the 294-member legislative assembly at 6 pm on Monday. “More than a moment of joy and happiness, it’s a very emotional moment for us. It will now pave the way to get out of 100 years of suffering in the state,” a source in the RSS told PTI, reacting to the counting trends.
With the formation of the BJP government, West Bengal will start marching on the path of progress and reclaim its “lost glory”, the source added.
“We worked round the clock on the ground and reached out to people with our message. The BJP also worked hard to achieve this success,” he said, adding that the party and Sangh volunteers worked in proper coordination across all levels.
During the elections, the sources said, RSS workers carried out large-scale voter awareness campaigns and also held nearly two lakh meetings with people in small groups across the state. “During these meetings, people were made aware of the poll issues and exhorted to vote without any fear. They were assured of their safety,” a source said.
According to the sources, the BJP began strengthening and expanding its base in West Bengal soon after the 2021 state polls in which the party emerged as the main opposition with its tally surging to 77 seats from three in 2016. (PTI)
