If one considers the late Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue P. Parameswaran as a theoretician, then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader P.P. Mukundan, who passed away in Kochi on Wednesday, was a realpolitik strategist who essentially built the party from the grassroots in Kerala.
Few leaders, apart from the late K.G. Marar and “Mukundettan”, as Mr. Mukundan was fondly known, enjoyed the same level of popularity among both BJP and RSS cadres. It’s no surprise that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with whom he had a rapport, tweeted, “PP Mukundanji will be remembered for his simplicity and hard work. People from all walks of life respected him for his intelligence and grassroots connections. He worked tirelessly to strengthen the BJP in Kerala.”
Mr. Mukundan first gained prominence when he skillfully organised the Hindu Mahasammelan in Thiruvananthapuram in 1991. Subsequently, the RSS assigned him to the BJP as its State organisational secretary, a position typically held by a senior RSS pracharak. He held this role until 2004 and later became the regional organisational secretary for Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andaman and Nicobar.
