MP: Fissures emerge between BJP-RSS, as 3 former RSS activists form Janhit Party ahead of polls

In a significant development, adding to the worries of the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh, three former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists have formed a new political outfit named 'Janhit Party' ahead of the assembly polls.

Emerging from the first meeting of the party that was held in Bhopal on Sunday, founders – Abhay Jain, Manish Kale, and Vishal Badal – said that their party will gherao the Shivraj government on people’s issues.

Interestingly, all three founders of the Janhit Party have worked with the RSS in the past. Disillusionment with the current political dispensation provoked the former RSS functionaries to form a new political party, feel MP watchers.

Abhay Jain, who served as the head of the RSS prachar vibhag (propaganda department) between 1986 and 2002 in Indore, accused Shivraj government of neglecting people.

He said “Shivraj Singh Chouhan has failed the democracy envisioned by Deendayal Upadhyay”.

Saying that “we have submitted memorandums with five lakh signatures, but the BJP government did not listen to us. So, we decided to float a political party,” Jain added, “If we could influence five lakh votes, we will be heard.”

Manish Kale and Vishal Badal launched a campaign called ‘Hitraksha Abhiyan’ (Campaign for the Welfare), after leaving RSS, a move that raised eyebrows within the RSS fold.

When asked about their decision to leave the RSS, Abhay Jain explained that the confines of the RSS’s structure restricted their ability to address broader issues. He emphasized their desire to expand their reach and work for the betterment of the masses as the primary motivation behind their departure.

The Janhit Party, according to Jain, intends to focus on key areas such as good governance, education, healthcare, law and order, and a more efficient and speedy justice system. This development within the political landscape of Madhya Pradesh has thrown an interesting twist into the upcoming assembly elections.

The MP observers believe that the Janhit Party could potentially shake up the existing political dynamics in favor of the main opposition party – the Congress. All eyes will be on how the Janhit Party charts its course and the impact it may have on the electoral outcome.