Starting in March next year, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), will no longer meet annually.
Last year, the RSS, the ideological fount of the BJP, announced that, to maximise its reach and increase its presence on the ground, it would replace prant pracharaks with sambhag (division) pracharaks (full-time workers). “This is in line with the major organisational changes that are being implemented. “That is still being worked out. “Since we are expanding our footprint, it is important to focus on each region, the local issues and the work that the Sangh needs to undertake in that area. The ABPS gives a broad contour for us to work.
The ABPS will now be organised in each of 9 Kshetras (regions) for two years, and then every third year there will be a gathering in Nagpur as it is done now,” said a Sangh functionary.
That meeting will now be held in Nagpur every third year, said people aware of the details. Either one of them or both will be present for the regional meetings, depending on how these are scheduled,” the functionary quoted above said. The functionary said the Sangh’s national executive committee meeting (coming up in November in Indore) will continue to be held annually. It will continue to do so, but at the same time we will have more concerted action that is region-specific,” the functionary quoted above said.
