Inside RSS-led Mission Trishul: Will it be a game-changer for BJP in Bihar polls?

The visible ground mobilisation by RSS has helped BJP clinch crucial victories in important states across the country.

As Bihar inches towards the two-phased assembly elections on November 6 and 11, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is silently carrying out efforts to boost the party’s prospects in the state.

The state is poised for a high-stakes contest between the NDA led by BJP and the Mahagathbandhan led by RJD. Several constituencies may witness a three-way clash following the entry of Prashant Kishor's newly formed Jan Suraaj Party. Thus, the role of the Sangh on the ground has become more crucial for BJP. The RSS has launched a special campaign named “Mission Trishul” to galvanise the voters and build support for the saffron party ahead of the polls.

According to BJP sources, the campaign was started in February this year and is being coordinated by senior RSS leaders.

The campaign involves three steps: identifying "angry" voters who are dissatisfied with the current government or the opposition, assessing which election issues are most important and resonant with the public and analysing which issues could benefit or harm the BJP’s prospects in the election.

According to BJP insiders, over 20,000 RSS volunteers are working at the ground level, and the number is likely to go up after Diwali. Other affiliated organisations such as the ABVP, Bajrang Dal, VHP and Mazdoor Sangh are also holding separate meetings and carry out campaigns in their respective areas.

Volunteers reportedly identify strong and weak booths for the BJP. They then review voter lists and ensure BJP supporters come out and vote in large numbers. On polling day too, RSS volunteers remain fully active.

The visible ground mobilisation by RSS has helped BJP clinch crucial victories in important states across the country.

The RSS is said to have played a key role in consolidating support for the BJP in the recent Delhi assembly elections. Its initiative, aimed at raising awareness about governance issues, is believed to have contributed to the BJP’s landslide victory. It also marked the BJP's return to power in the national capital after 27 years. The RSS volunteers reportedly conducted a silent "voter awareness" drive across Delhi, holding meetings to discuss key issues such as cleanliness, potable water supply, healthcare, air pollution, and the cleaning of the Yamuna River.

In the 2025 Haryana polls too, the social outreach and small gatherings of the RSS are believed to have effectively countered the Congress-led Opposition’s claims that a BJP government may change the Constitution. It helped the saffron party spring a surprise in the state, proving most pollsters wrong.

In the Maharashtra polls, the Sangh created 13 groups that would tackle the opposition threat on the macro as well as the micro level. On the macro level one of the groups was to collate all the information coming in from the opposition, analysing and how to correct or counter it.

The 'Sajag Raho' campaign by RSS was turned into a very personalised door-to-door outreach programme. It not only touched the raw nerve of the electorate on factors related to Hindutva pitch but also transformed the local issues into decisive electoral narratives.