BJP targets to recruit 2.20 cr new workers, special focus on Bengal, Kashmir and Kerala

The BJP will hold its membership drive from July 6 to August 10 and target to recruit at least 2.20 crore new workers, with special focus on West Bengal, Kashmir and Kerala, party vice president Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Friday.

Like the Modi government's theme is 'sabka sath, sabka vikas' (with all, for everybody''s development), the party's will be 'saravsparshi- sarvyapi', he said while addressing a press conference at the BJP office here.

The party's theme means, the BJP includes people from all sections of society and it is present everywhere in terms of geography, Chouhan said.

He attributed the BJP's victory in the Lok Sabha polls to its membership campaign, which was carried out in 2015 under the leadership of party chief Amit Shah.

After the campaign, the BJP had claimed that it became the world's largest political party with 11 crore members.

"At present, there are 11 crore workers of the party across the country and now we have to increase our membership by 20 per cent and therefore, we have set a target of recruiting at least 2.20 crore new workers for which membership drive will start from July 6, the birth anniversary of (RSS idealogue) Syama Prasad Mukherjee," Chouhan, who is heading the campaign, said.

Chouhan, a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, said though the campaign will be carried out across the country but the special attention will be given to West Bengal, Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

The BJP is looking to go beyond the Hindi heartland and expand its presence and emerge as a key player in the states, the Valley and the Union territory where it does not have a traditional base.

He also informed that unlike last time when anyone could become a member by giving a missed call, this time people have to fill a form as well.

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and Shah's strategy as BJP's biggest strength, Chouhan said these two leaders are the main factors in the party's splendid performance in the 2019 elections.

The decision to carry out the membership drive was taken in a meeting of the BJP's national office bearers on Thursday, in which Shah had said the party may have notched up its best ever tally in the recent Lok Sabha polls but it is yet to reach its peak.

During the meeting of the party's national office-bearers and its key organisational representatives from states, Shah had gave final touches to the party's membership drive to increase its members by 20 per cent.