Political activities are intensifying in the lead-up to the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has also become fully active in this regard. According to sources, the RSS has formulated a strategy to exert its full force, viewing the upcoming elections in Bihar and West Bengal as a matter of "prestige."
New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has intensified its strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar and West Bengal. Elections are scheduled to be held in several states across the country in the coming years, but the RSS has made the elections in Bihar and Bengal a matter of "prestige." To strengthen the BJP's position in both states, the RSS has initiated work on a multi-layered campaign called 'Formula Trishul,' which is designed to have an impact not only on the political front but also on cultural and social fronts.
What is RSS's 'Formula Trishul'?
According to sources, the RSS is focusing on three key points:
- Identification of dissatisfied voters and exploitation of issues.
- Use of communal sentiments for polarization.
- Bringing Dalits within the fold of Hindu unity, and bringing OBC-EBCs to the political-cultural center.
The Sangh has named these three dimensions as 'Trishul' - this triangular strategy is working to influence the caste-based ground equations in Bihar and prepare the ground for the BJP through cultural revival in West Bengal.
Efforts for unity of landlords and OBCs in Bihar
In Bihar, the RSS's priority is to bring together the upper caste landlords along with the OBCs and EBCs. The Sangh believes that if Dalits are presented as part of a larger Hindu group and OBC-EBCs are brought together, a powerful social coalition can be formed. For this, the Sangh is reaching out to youth and women through 'Ghar Wapsi programs', religious gatherings, and caste-cultural organizations.
Organizations associated with the Sangh are conducting regular religious events and motivational conferences in Nawada, Gaya, Bhojpur, Champaran, and Siwan. It is noteworthy that the recent caste violence among Dalits in Nawada challenged the Sangh's social agenda. However, the Sangh is propagating it as an example of the "need for Hindu unity" instead of social disintegration.
Cultural polarization through religious programs in Bengal
In West Bengal, the Sangh's strategy is slightly different. Here, the RSS plans to organize more than 300 Hindu religious programs in 2025. Most of these programs will be presented as part of the centenary celebrations, being held to mark the completion of 100 years of the Sangh's establishment. According to RSS South Bengal chief Biplab Roy, the celebrations will begin with Mahalaya and conclude with the Shastra Puja on Vijayadashami.
This religious-cultural activity may seem ordinary, but the Sangh's objective is clear: to unite Hindu society and emotionally connect voters.
Mamata Banerjee's attack on RSS
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Sangh of inciting communal violence. She had said that the incidents of communal violence in the state had increased in 2024 and that the politics of RSS and BJP were responsible for this. After the recent violence in Sonarpur near Kolkata, Mamata, taking the name of the Sangh directly, said, "I did not take the name of RSS earlier, but now I am compelled to. They are spreading lies and hatred. We must avoid mutual distrust. The majority and minority communities have to live together."
Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat spent a week in Bengal and a week in Bihar in March 2025, understanding the ground realities and giving targets to the volunteers. According to him, the Sangh now has to go beyond just being a cultural organization and play a role in electoral influence as well. After the successful experimentation of the Sangh's strategy in Delhi, Haryana, and Maharashtra, now is the test for Bihar and Bengal.
The report by the 'Center for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS)' indicates that 59 incidents of communal violence were recorded in the country in 2024, of which at least 8 occurred in Bengal and several dozens in Bihar. This is being seen against the backdrop of the Sangh's religious campaign and social polarization.
