To counter oppn 'disinformation', BJP seeks to mobilise 10-cr new members

BJP chief Amit Shah today asked partymen to reach out to its new members to counter the opposition's "disinformation campaign" against its government and lay a strong foundation to take the party forward.
Addressing a workshop of its state conveners for the party's 'Mahasampark Abhiyaan' (mega-outreach campaign), to be launched on May 1, he said that the opposition's claims against the Narendra Modi government has to be dealt with unitedly by party workers.
"There is a major disinformation campaign launched by opposition against our government to spread lies about its work. This major outreach campaign will take on this disinformation campaign and take the truth to the people.

"Whosoever tries to spread lies against us, the 10 crore members of the party will fan out across the country and tell the truth to the people. Public outreach has the biggest impact and our 10 crore members will reach out to the 100 crore people in the country," Shah said.
He termed the Abhiyaan a "samudra manthan" (churning of the ocean that will throw up dedicated party workers from among its new members who will lay a strong foundation to take BJP to newer heights.
The BJP campaign will start from May 1 with the aim to turn the new members into party workers. It will run for three months till July 31. As part of it, party leaders will reach out to the new members and try and convince them to become party workers, said the BJP President.

"The nearly 10 crore new members are well wishers of the party. Through this Abhiyaan, these party members will be converted into party workers to strengthen the organisation," he said, adding from August 1, another campaign will be launched wherein the party will select 15 lakh dedicated party workers and give them training in politics.

Shah also told BJP conveners and workers that while the party has adopted a new electronic model for enrolment of new members, it will have checks and balances in place to ensure removal of any shortcomings. There have been complaints that even people unwilling to join BJP are receiving messages on their mobile phones about their enrolment as members.

Shah said that along with party general secretary Ram Lal, he will launch the outreach campaign by meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who became the BJP's first member on November 1 while launching the current membership drive. After the training campaign, the party will hold its organisational polls, he added.
He said the campaign was devised to allay apprehensions of some leaders that the online membership drive did not have the element of connecting with the members. "Contact and Communication is the soul of an organisation and the strength of BJP and Sangh is their contact and communication.