RSS functionaries said the Sangh made the arrangements seeing the huge rush of candidates — 48 lakh candidates have registered this time too. “Not all candidates can afford to stay in hotels. Often candidates are seen staying on railway platforms. The RSS has extended help to make their stay convenient,” said a Sangh functionary.

The Sangh’s affiliates Sewa Bharti and Vidyarthi Karya Vibhag have made the arrangements for candidates and their companions to stay at local RSS offices and the hostels of Saraswati Shishu Mandirs. Separate arrangements have been made for women candidates, according to an RSS official.

Aspirants at a protest demanding re-examination following paper leak allegations, in Lucknow. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

In Gorakhpur district, for example, the Sewa Bharti has made arrangements at three school campuses — one for women and two for male candidates. The women being accompanied by a male member of their family are being put up at the homes of volunteers. RSS volunteers have been checking the admit cards and identity proofs of candidates before allowing them entry into their accommodation. The Sangh’s volunteers have also been deployed at stations and bus stops to verify the candidates’ credentials and provide them with snacks and meals.

In Lucknow, the RSS has made arrangements at five locations and set up a help desk outside the Charbagh railway station.

The RSS’s prachar pramukh (publicity in-charge) for eastern UP, Subhash said, “Arrangements of stay, refreshments and food packets have been made in all the cities where examinations are being held, especially in major cities such as Lucknow, Ayodhya, Kashi (Varanasi), Prayagraj, and Kanpur. The arrangements are completely free of cost. For female candidates, separate arrangements have been made on school campuses.”

Asked if it was being done to control the damage caused by paper leaks, the RSS denied it had anything to do with the election results. “It has nothing to do with elections. The Sangh does not work with elections in mind, we work for the society,” he said.

Another RSS functionary in the state said, “The RSS is doing this of its own initiative as part of social work. Certainly, when the RSS reaches out to people, it politically benefits the BJP.”

Subhash said the RSS had made similar arrangements when the same examination was scheduled to be held in February but did not publicise it as much. “This time, the information was circulated through posters on social media, WhatsApp groups, social media with contact details,” he said.

“The male students here have been put up in two campuses of Saraswati Shishu Mandir schools, while the women have been lodged in a girls’ hostel,” said Abhijeet, a Sewa Bharti functionary in Gorakhpur. “Earlier we had the target of providing accommodation to more than 200 candidates on each campus but due to the rush more than over 250 candidates have been seeking lodging daily.”

The Sangh’s efforts come at a time when the Yogi Adityanath-led state government is making a concerted effort to address the question of joblessness among the youth, concentrating especially in areas where 10 Assembly bypolls are set to be held soon. The government has been organising job fairs, handing over appointment letters, and holding programmes where tablets and smartphones are distributed to the youth for free.