Dattatreya Hosabale, the third senior-most man in the hierarchy of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), might soon be elevated to the number two position. Hosabale is currently the joint general secretary (or sah-sarkaryawah) of the organisation.
Next week, the RSS will be holding its annual Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) meet in Nagpur. It is expected that a decision to elevate Hosabale to the second-in-command position will be taken there.
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According to reports, 63-year-old Hosabale will succeed general secretary Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi, who is in his 70s.
Joshi was elected to the post in 2009. Due to health reasons, Joshi had reportedly handed over some of his duties to Hosabale.
But this is not the first time speculations have surrounded around Hosabale’s elevation. It was previously expected that he will become the second-in-command of the RSS at the all-India Pratinidhi Sabha (AAIPS) held in Nagpur in March 2015.
Considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Hosabale hails from Sorab in Shimoga district in Karnataka, which will head to polls next month. Shimoga is in the coastal Malnadu region of the state.
The meet to be held in Nagpur next week will be attended by around 1,500 RSS workers. The meeting is held every three years. This will be the last annual meeting before the 2019 General Elections.
Mohan Bhagwat is the current Sarasanghachalak or head of the RSS.
