The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent organisation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has reported an increase in online applications for membership across India, with a particularly substantial, or "exponential," jump noted in Karnataka over the last month, according to sources familiar with the details.
A senior functionary, who requested anonymity, said: "The number of requests received in October from Karnataka was 5,252, which is nearly six times more than the 765 requests received in October last year."
They added that there has been an "overall increase in online applications (across the country). In 2024 there were 114,000 applications, while in 2023 there were 95,911."
The functionary attributed this growth partly to the organisation's "organic" expansion, attracting people from various societal sections, but suggested that the ongoing centenary celebrations could also have sparked interest and contributed to the rise in application numbers.
In Karnataka, the Congress-led state government has been in a sustained conflict with the RSS, having called for a ban on its activities and raised questions about the organisation's status, noting that it is neither formally registered nor liable for income tax.
The functionary suggested that the reasons behind the increased interest are twofold: "The reason for this rise is the outcome of the outreach programme conducted by our Swayamsevaks on different occasions. Simultaneously, unreasonable vehement opposition also causes curiosity among the youth, which results in an upsurge in requests to join RSS."
The RSS Chief, Mohan Bhagwat, echoed this sentiment on Sunday in Bengaluru, where he was addressing a lecture series to mark the centenary of the organisation, saying that criticism actually makes the Sangh more popular. "We have witnessed that in Karnataka..." he remarked.
The RSS, established in 1925, allows people to join either by contacting a local Shakha (unit) or by submitting an online application.
According to the functionary quoted earlier, enrolment has seen a steady increase ever since the online application process was introduced.
"In 2012 a provision was made on the website to join the Sangh. A form has to be filled and the local unit then gets in touch with the applicant. In 2012, the number was 1,250, which rose to 2,600 in 2013 and 5,220 in 2014. Between 2017 and 2024, the average applications received were around 100,000. But in 2025, in October alone there has been an upsurge in the number of requests as the Sangh has received 48,980 applications," the functionary confirmed.
Previously, the highest monthly request figures were 27,871 in March 2017 and 36,242 in September of this year.
However, Karnataka's IT Minister, Priyank Kharge, contested the figures, alleging that the RSS was "contradicting itself" on enrolment. The Congress leader claimed: "They seem to be contradicting themselves because the RSS’ website says that there is no formal enrolment in the organisation. Now they are claiming to be six times or 10 times more, so we want to know exactly these details — who are the volunteers and how much are they contributing? So, my question remains unanswered."
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