RSS brings in its youngest ever No.3 rung leaders, with roots in Maharashtra, Jharkhand

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the RSS has added two new faces to its top leadership, with the induction of Atul Limaye and Alok Kumar as sah sarkaryavah (joint general secretary), at its Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha that concluded in Nagpur on Sunday.

This takes the total strength of joint general secretaries in the RSS to six. The appointments also underline the Sangh’s focus on Maharashtra and Jharkhand, where the BJP is looking to shore up its numbers.

In their 50s, Kumar and Limaye are the youngest infusion in the sah sarkaryavah group, which is No.3 in the Sangh hierarchy, after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale.

Hosabale, who took over as RSS sarkaryavah in 2021, continues in the post, while senior RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya, who was sah sarkaryavah, has been moved to membership of the Sangh’s National Executive.

Limaye belongs to Maharashtra and was the designated ‘kshetra pracharak’ of the Sangh in the western region, as part of which he is said to have overseen RSS work and expansion in Maharashtra, which also includes the RSS headquarters at Nagpur, apart from Gujarat and Goa.

“He is an old-timer who has spent a considerable number of years in Maharashtra and Gujarat. His elevation as sah sarkaryavah will strengthen the organisation in these two crucial states,” an RSS functionary said.

Alok Kumar has been the joint national publicity in-charge, and Sangh insiders admitted he was a surprise pick for the joint general secretary post. It is seen as part of the Sangh’s effort to infuse young energy in the top brass; it helps that he is based currently in Ranchi, Jharkhand, a state that the BJP sees as within its reach.

Hailing from western Uttar Pradesh, Kumar joined the Sangh in