Thu Feb 13 09:02:54 UTC 2025: ## AAP’s Defeat Signals End of RSS Experiment with Non-BJP Parties

**New Delhi** – The recent defeat of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi assembly elections marks a significant turning point in Indian right-wing politics, according to political analyst Dinesh Narayanan. The outcome signals the end of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) experiment in supporting a non-BJP political entity on the national stage.

Narayanan argues that the RSS, since its inception, has sought to exert influence over Indian politics, initially attempting to infiltrate the Congress party. Following the creation of the Jan Sangh (later the BJP), the RSS’s focus shifted to cultivating its own political arm, but its relationship with the BJP has been fraught with tension. Periods of collaboration and rivalry punctuated their history, culminating in a covert alliance with Kejriwal.

The RSS, seeing potential in Kejriwal’s anti-corruption movement, provided tacit support, even as it publicly maintained distance. Kejriwal’s ability to appeal to a broad spectrum of voters, encompassing both Hindu and secular sentiments, made him a seemingly ideal candidate to advance the RSS’s agenda.

However, Kejriwal’s electoral setback signals a shift. Narayanan suggests this loss signifies the RSS’s conclusion that cultivating and controlling a separate political party outside the BJP is ultimately inefficient and potentially counterproductive. The RSS, seemingly disillusioned with this attempt, is now consolidating its efforts within the BJP fold. This is evidenced by the renewed cooperation between the RSS and BJP, with visible signs of collaboration in several states.

While Kejriwal is expected to continue his political career, possibly expanding into new regions, the RSS appears to have returned its focus to its primary political instrument: the BJP. This consolidation of power, according to Narayanan, is likely to accelerate the advancement of the RSS’s Hindu Rashtra agenda.

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