Why BJP has ‘cut’ number of joint general secretaries — RSS men in party — from 4 to 1

BJP used to have two joint general secretaries until Amit Shah took over as BJP president in 2014, and increased the number to four. With a new reshuffle, just one incumbent is left.

Representational image | ANI

New Delhi: The BJP has brought down the number of joint general secretaries in the party — from four under Amit Shah in 2014, to one — with an aim to “streamline party functioning”, party leaders told ThePrint. The decision, one of the leaders said, was also aimed at “asserting the BJP’s position over the RSS”.

The position of joint general secretary is usually reserved for RSS members. The mandate of incumbents includes handling party-related matters in states and organisational affairs, and serving as a link between the BJP and the RSS, its ideological parent.

The party used to have two incumbents until Shah took over as BJP president in 2014, and increased the number to four. They were V. Satish, Saudan Singh, Shiv Prakash and B.L. Santhosh. In July last year, Santhosh was elevated as BJP national general secretary (organisation).

There were three joint general secretaries until Thursday, when two were reassigned to other roles. While Satish has been appointed as coordinator or “sanghatak“, a new post meant to oversee coordination among the parliamentary party, the Scheduled Caste Morcha and the BJP’s Dalit outreach campaigns. Earlier, he looked after the party’s affairs in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Singh, meanwhile, has been elevated as national vice-president. He will look after the party’s affairs in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh. Singh so far oversaw the party’s functioning in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Singh’s new assignment is seen as important because Punjab, a Congress-led state, headed for polls next year, and also as the ongoing farmer protests are being led by residents of the northern state.

Prakash has retained the post of joint general secretary, but his role has been expanded. While he retains West Bengal from his earlier charge, he will now also oversee Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. However, the crucial states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, both led by BJP governments, have been taken out of the the kitty of the RSS pracharak (full-time worker) from UP.

According to party functionaries, the new changes, which came into effect Thursday, are an attempt to streamline the party’s functioning. The post, they said, often led to duplication of work since the party state units also have their own leaders.

A senior BJP leader told ThePrint, “Originally there were only two posts of joint general secretaries… When Shah became president, he increased the number of posts to four. But the party was experiencing problems in decision-making and their implementation. So, the old order has been restored.”

Another source in the party said the decision to reduce the number of incumbents was taken about a month ago. “You can read between the lines. The top leadership doesn’t find so many layers suitable in decision-making and implementation,” the source added.

“The basic reason behind this dilution of posts was a problem of overlapping responsibilities. Things were not working as effectively as conceived earlier.”

Move to ‘asset BJP position’ 

Party insiders said the move to scrap the number of joint secretary posts was also an attempt to assert BJP’s position over the RSS.

The second senior BJP leader said, “As part of a larger decision, the post was diluted. So, Satish ji has been given less significant work and the post of a margdarshak (mentor), since coordination with the parliamentary party is already done by the parliamentary affairs minister and others.”