BJP aims to enroll 12 lakh new members in T'gana

The BJP in Telangana aims to enroll an additional 12 lakh members during the membership drive which would be kicked off in the city by party chief Amit Shah on July 6.

The partys senior state unit leaders discussed the membership campaign, the visit of Shah and preparations for the municipal polls to be held next month at a meeting Tuesday.

"All those who contested as MLAs and MPs, they should be involved in the membership campaign and try to bring new blood, new people to the party. Existing (membership) is 18 lakhs. It should be 30 lakhs, with an addition of 12 lakhs, BJP MLC N Ramachander Rao told PTI.

The membership drive would be held till August 11 from July 6.

During his visit, Shah is expected to guide the leaders on strengthening the party organisation towards the goal of forming government in the state in 2023, BJP sources said.

The party aims to win majority of municipalities among the total 136 in the urban local body polls, Rao said.

The party feels that it has better chances to do well in the urban areas.

Though BJP could win only one of the 119 seats in the Assembly polls held in December last year, it pulled off surprise gains in Lok Sabha elections, bagging four of the 17 constituencies.

On Tuesday, BJYM, the youth wing of BJP, organised a protest against "exorbitant" fees being collected by some "corporate schools" in Hyderabad and elsewhere in Telangana, BJP sources said.