RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday urged the people of Bengal to join his outfit to understand its mode of work and nature “from the inside” and stressed their organisation’s vision of building a strong Hindu unity.

“I request you to come to the Sangh to understand it from the inside. There are no fees to join here, and no formal membership policy. It is completely up to you whether you choose to come inside (the RSS) or withdraw if your mind says so,” said Bhagwat, addressing 17,000 uniformed activists at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) ground in East Burdwan’s Talit.

The appeal by Bhagwat, who concluded his 10-day trip to Bengal on Sunday, during his 36-minute speech, hinted at consolidating Hindu voters in Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

An RSS source said Bhagwat made it clear that the Bengal chapter should intensify activities on the ground within a year.

Currently, the RSS has around 6,000 branches in Bengal. Now, the Bengal unit has decided to increase the number to at least 12,000 this year.

“This is the centenary of the RSS, as it began its journey in 1925. We will ensure the opening of branches in all villages and all municipality wards in urban areas within a year,” said Biplab Roy, state media coordinator for south Bengal, in Calcutta.

The RSS chief did not mention Bangladesh in his speech, but many insiders said “the rise of Hindu oppression” in Bangladesh would help strengthen the RSS in Bengal.

A source in the RSS said that it would begin its Bengal outreach from Ram Navami on April 6 with processions in at least 1,000 places.

A BJP source claimed that the RSS’s micro-level meetings and door-to-door campaigns ahead of the recent Delhi polls helped the BJP gain victory after a gap of 27 years.