The recent conciliatory missive sent by stormy petrel of Hindutva and Vishwa Hindu Parishad International vice-president Pravin Togadia , seeking to smoke the peace pipe with PM Narendra Modi after years of personal hostility, is a multi-layered development within the Sangh Parivar. Responses to this overture will have significant bearing on the Sangh Parivar's ability to forge a united front during the next parliamentary polls.In the recently concluded assembly elections in Gujarat, Togadia consistently assailed BJP. While he did not back Congress directly, the VHP leader lent weight to Hardik Patel besides making critical remarks on the state government's performance, which contributed to challenges the party eventually overcame to come out victors.Togadia's message to Modi to "come together" and "work for the nation" followed bitter power-struggle for several weeks when the Sangh unsuccessfully attempted to dislodge Togadia from his pivotal position within VHP and the subsequent high drama when he went 'missing' only to surface a day later alleging a plot to kill him in a false encounter. Indications of a backroom settlement being hammered out was evident when Vijay Rupani's government dropped charges in a two-decade old attempt-to-murder case against Togadia.However, Togadia sought to extract a 'price' for undoubted compromise with his personal ego that made him swallow conceit. The cost Togadia 'levied' on Modi is a clever subterfuge aimed at trapping Modi in committing on issues over which he would want complete freedom. Togadia's words of conciliation are suffixed with "matters of concern" that the PM would want no reminding: unemployment of youth, rural 'distress', state of SSIs and "health of the nation". Moreover, Togadia continues making critical statements raising doubts over his sincerity.Additionally, the VHP leader flagged 'promises' that can be delivered in the event of rapprochement between the two. Modi would not take kindly to 'reminders' served by Togadia - tackling escalating cost of education, law to facilitate construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya , a cow protection law and rehabilitation of Hindus in Kashmir. Modi is unlikely to ever put these issues on the 'negative list', but he would want complete liberty to decide on strategy to calibrate advancement towards these goals and not allow anyone to take credit.Besides personal rivalry dating back to more than two decades, divergences between Togadia and Modi mirror the gap between BJP and RSS affiliates like Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh . Each of these follow sector-specific charters and take little note of compulsions of governance, which restricts elbow room for BJP leaders.VHP, for instance, is launching another edition of Ram Rath Yatra from Ayodhya on February 13 and would want Ram temple construction to start straight away. Likewise, other affiliates active on economic, labour and peasantry fronts gfrustrated when the BJP government moderates the stance adopted during agitations when in opposition. The dichotomy between realpolitik and ideological and programmatic idealism is normally balanced between BJP and Sangh affiliates by the RSS leadership and failure to do this cost the party dearly in 2004 and nearly did in Gujarat.Despite relations between Modi and the Mohan Bhagwat-led RSS being healthier than ever before, there are instances when government has faced tough situations. Affiliates argue aggressive posture is necessary to retaining pivotal position in competitive sectors. BMS, it is argued, will lose cadre if they do not take up workers' issues wherever necessary.This poses a Hamletian dilemma for the Sangh Parivar. If affiliates weaken, the famed RSS network will be unable to turn out for BJP in polls. But if affiliates get freehand to outrun rivals, government and ruling party get destabilised. Indisputably, internal cohesion is lacking and the Sangh leadership has failed to limit areas where affiliates must remain engaged. For instance, in a liberalised world, there is a need to rethink relevance and thrust of SJM. Likewise, the RSS must decide the extent to which VHP remains unifocal on the temple.Failure of the Sangh leadership to either find ways to accommodate Togadia and his likes in other affiliates or marginalise them completely will queer BJP's pitch in the run-up the next polls. RSS has coped with similar conflicts in the past, but matters were ironed out by timely intervention from fatherly figures. The present crop in RSS and BJP are contemporaries and those formally anointed Margdarshaks have either paid scant respect or have not lived up to expectations.