Kolkata, May 12 (IANS): Understanding that having a formidable performance in West Bengal and the northeastern states will be key to ensuring the third term of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is planning to recruit 35,000 swayamsevaks (volunteers) in the northeast, making Bengal the epicentre of such activities.

Keshav Bhawan, the RSS office in Kolkata, will be the nodal office for West Bengal and the northeastern states in this recruitment drive.

Meanwhile, the BJP central leadership is also focussing on West Bengal.

Within a month of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to West Bengal, BJP President JP Nadda is expected to come to the state and hold meetings with the party's state functionaries on how to go about for the state panchayat polls in 2023 and Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

BJP's Vice-president and party MP Dilip Ghosh confirmed that JP Nadda will visit the state either by the end of May or in the first week of June. "His visit is confirmed. The final day of his visit will be informed to us shortly," Ghosh said.

A veteran RSS associate told IANS on the condition of anonymity that the recruitment of 35,000 swayamsevaks will be done in phases.

"After the recruitment, these swayamsevaks will be trained and educated about the style and pattern of functioning of RSS, before being finally fielded for undertaking organisational activities. We expect the recruitment process to be over within the next six months," he said.

With regards to special focus on West Bengal, he said that the prime target is to identify and reopen RSS branches that have shut operations.

"Many of our operating branches were closed down during the last few years first because of pressure from the ruling Trinamool Congress, and second because of the Covid-19 pandemic. So, besides recruitment of fresh swayamsevaks in the state, our target is to reopen as many closed branches as possible and as early as possible," the RSS associate said.