Suresh Joshi meets RSS, BJP leaders ahead of polls

GANDHINAGAR: Sarkaryawah (general secretary) of Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS) had a daylong meeting on Thursday with Gujarat RSS office-bearers. He also met senior IAS, IPS officers, leaders of religious groups, professionals, academicians, industrialists, social leaders and key BJP leaders of the state. However, Joshi, who is considered number 2 in the RSS, avoided meeting journalists.

Sources said that Joshi spoke about the need to increase “co-ordinated effort by various wings of the RSS to help the Gujarat BJP win the upcoming assembly elections.” He urged them to do good groundwork for the next

Lok Sabha

elections. “He also spoke at length on national issues like the attack on RSS functionaries in Kerala, and ongoing problems in Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and other parts of the country,” a source said. He also talked about issues that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had mentioned in his Vijya Dashmi speech. “Joshi talked about the strategy needed to expand Swayamsevak numbers in Gujarat and reach out to the masses,” the source said.