BJP’s Subramanian Swamy or VHP’s Pravin Togadia after Singhal

Among the major decisions the Sangh Parivar top brass has to take at the ongoing Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) meet in Nagaur is to appoint the “successor” of late VHP leader Ashok Singhal, who was considered the “pioneer” of the Ramjanambhoomi movement. Construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya remains the top priority of the VHP.

Sources disclosed VHP’s international working president and “Hindutva icon” Pravin Togadia or BJP leader Subramanian Swamy could be asked to take up the mantle. Speculation is rife that the Sangh Parivar could also project both as Singhal’s successor, with one looking after the “religious” projects of the VHP while the other will be given the charge of “social” projects.

A meeting of Sangh Parivar’s “choti toli (top brass)”, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, general secretary Bhaiyya Joshi, BJP president Amit Shah and heads of other prominent parivar affiliates, was held on Thursday and Friday ahead of the inauguration of the ABPS. The issue of Singhal’s successor, it is learnt, came up for discussion. Dr Swamy has been highlighting the Ram Mandir issue and has also written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging initiation of measures to build the temple in Ayodhya

Mr Shah, sources disclosed, also discussed with the RSS top brass organisation-related issues, including the party’s national executive meet scheduled next week and coordination between the party, government and Sangh Parivar affiliates. With Assembly elections lined up in Kerala and Assam, the issue also came up for discussion with the RSS top brass. RSS has a major influence in both the states.

The ABPS meet began by paying homage to Singhal along with other RSS leaders. Homage was also paid to Sujith, the RSS volunteer who was recently hacked to death in Kerala. The ABPS paid homage to late CPI stalwart A.B. Bardhan, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, farmers’ leader Sharad Joshi and Congress stalwart and former Lok Sabha Speaker Balram Jakhar among others.