The RSS on Sunday urged political parties to respect the people’s verdict in the recent general election but remained silent on the BJP’s reduced strength, while outlining an ambitious expansion plan to mark the organisation’s centenary next year.

Sangh publicity-in-charge Sunil Ambekar said the RSS had set itself the target of holding “daily shakhas (assemblies)” at each of its 58,000-plus rural divisions in the country and every urban locality by Vijay Dashami next year, coinciding with its centenary. (The RSS was founded on Vijaya Dashami in 1925.)

Ambedkar, addressing the media at the end of a three-day meeting of prant pracharaks (divisional publicists) of the RSS, was asked about the organisation’s involvement in the general election that saw the BJP’s strength dropping below the majority mark.

“The Sangh doesn’t directly get involved in elections but undertakes the task of awakening the voters for a healthy democracy. In these Lok Sabha polls, too, the Sangh did this job,” he replied.

He added: “In a democracy, the people are paramount. All the parties went to the people with their manifestos and the people gave their verdict. Everybody should now respect the verdict.”

The Ranchi meeting was attended by the entire RSS leadership, including the outfit’s chief Mohan Bhagwat. It discussed organisational achievements, expansion plans and the key issues facing the country.

The meeting came amid strains in the relationship between the Sangh and its political arm, the BJP. According to some reports, the Sangh’s foot soldiers had not participated as enthusiastically in this election as in the past to sway voters in favour of the BJP.

The RSS leadership was apparently upset at the “unilateral” approach of the current BJP dispensation, dominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.

On the Sangh’s expansion plans, Ambekar said daily shakhas are now held in 36,823 of its 58,981 rural divisions.

“By Vijaya Dashami next year, we have decided to expand and hold shakhas in each of the 58,981 rural divisions,” he said.

“In the urban areas, out of the 23,649 localities, the RSS is active in 14,645. We have set the goal of starting our activities in all the urban localities by the time we celebrate our centenary.”

The RSS currently holds daily shakhas at 73,117 locations and weekly gatherings at 27,717 locations in the country, he said.

Ambedkar claimed that large numbers of young men were expressing their interest in getting associated with the Sangh.

“In 2012, we started an online ‘Join the RSS’ platform and through this, over one lakh youths get associated with different activities of the Sangh every year,” he said.

Ambedkar added that this year, till June, over 66,000 youths had expressed an interest in contributing to the Sangh’s activities.