RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will begin a 10-day tour of Bengal on Friday, marking his longest continuous stay in the state.

Sources within the organisation indicated that Bhagwat, arriving from Kerala on Thursday midnight, is likely to begin his district tour on Friday morning at a time when he aims to revitalise the RSS's organisational structure ahead of the Assembly polls in 2026.

During his 10-day visit, the RSS chief will tour 12 districts in south Bengal, including East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah, Calcutta, North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas, which fall under the organisation's Dakshin Banga zone where he will stay till February 10.

"On February 11 and 12, he will attend a meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Toli (tour of India). The following day, he will visit the Madhya Banga (Middle Bengal) zone and open an office in Burdwan town on February 14," RSS state general secretary Jishnu Basu said.

On February 13, the RSS chief will move to the Madhya Banga zone (as the RSS designates it), covering districts such as Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum, East Burdwan, West Burdwan and Nadia, where he will stay for another four days. His visit will conclude on February 16 with a rally at Burdwan's SAI complex.

Although the RSS has not officially acknowledged any connection between Bhagwat’s visit and next year's elections, sources within the organisation suggest he will engage regional leaders, grassroots activists and influential district figures who could play a role in mobilising voters in the BJP’s favour.

“RSS is a non-political organisation and Bhagwat’s tour is part of his ‘Pravas Yatra’ which was planned well in advance. It is not specifically aimed at influencing the 2026 Assembly elections. These discussions are set to focus on organisational expansion, community engagement and reinforcing ties between RSS leadership and local stakeholders. He will also assess the performance of the RSS in rural and urban Bengal," Basu said.

However, political analysts note that the RSS had played a crucial role in shaping the BJP’s electoral strategies, and Bhagwat’s visit was important with the polls coming up next year.

“It is significant that Bhagwat has decided to tour 12 districts in south Bengal where the BJP has been struggling to gain a foothold. This indicates the RSS is trying to give the BJP the necessary organisational back-up so that it can reach out to the people in these districts,” a city-based political analyst said.

A senior RSS pracharak said Bengal experienced substantial demographic shifts and it was imperative for the RSS chief to engage with members at all levels this time.

"RSS has always served as the backbone of the BJP’s electoral efforts, and in this context, Bhagwat’s visit to south Bengal is politically significant. In 2019, much of the BJP’s success was on account of the RSS support in key districts. The RSS could once again play a crucial role in mobilising voters in the BJP’s favour," the pracharak told The Telegraph on condition of anonymity.