BJP membership drive, which will begin on September 1, aims to enrol 10 crore members

Several issues related to this were discussed at today's meeting. The meeting was held under the leadership of BJP National President Jagat Prakash Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Saturday.

The meeting included a training workshop where discussions were held on how to advance the membership drive. The gathering also received guidance from BJP National General Secretary (Org.) BL Santosh and BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde, who is the convener of this entire plan.

During the meeting, the membership teams were announced, with the presence of State President, State General Secretary, state in charge, and other state representatives. The key points of discussion were the action, rules, and timetable. The membership drive is set to begin on September 1 this year, with the primary objective of enrolling more than 10 crore members into the BJP. In states heading for elections or where election dates have already been announced, the membership drive will occur later, further increasing the numbers.

Patra also recalled that during Amit Shah's tenure as BJP National President in 2014-15, a similar membership drive was conducted for about 5-6 months, resulting in approximately 11 crore people across India joining the BJP. In 2019, a segment of this campaign continued, adding another 7 crore members, bringing the total to around 18 crore members between 2014 and 2019.

However, the pandemic delayed further drives. Today, the process has been reinitiated, and from September 1, the membership drive will progress through four modes, missed call, QR code scanning for those with smartphones, the NaMo app, and via BJP's official website, BJP.org. These methods will make it easier for the public to become members of the BJP.

Dr Patra stated that the primary objective of this membership drive is expansion, enabling the BJP to spread its ideology among the public. With this core purpose in mind, the BJP continues to advance this political tradition over time.

Addressing the meeting, JP Nadda appealed to all the office-bearers to make this membership campaign a success and called for adding about 10 crore new members to the party. Hon'ble Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah said that when the BJP was founded on April 6, 1980, and even before that with the Jana Sangh in 1950, and further back to the roots of the ideology in 1925, the central belief was never about seeking political ease, but about embracing the struggle.

There has always been this priority that karyakartas and leaders will never advance for political comfort and will remain committed to the struggle and continually work for the glory of India.

Patra mentioned that it's worth considering why such a large party, with 11 to 18 crore members, would need such a campaign. Today, the BJP is the largest political party in the world, but this democratic process sets the BJP apart from the other political parties. This is because the BJP is a living political party.

Even as the largest political party in the world, a living party renews itself according to its objectives. It gives the people the opportunity to decide whether they want to remain members of the party. No other political party in India has such a democratic process. This is why the BJP refers to the process as "Sangathan Parv" and not "Sangathan Chunav", because for BJP, the nation comes first. This entire event is celebrated as a festival.

Dr Patra conveyed that though this event will officially begin with excitement and enthusiasm from September 1st, the preparations and the planning for it were discussed and concluded in today's meeting. Dr Patra emphasized that the upcoming membership drive must be "Sarvasparshiya" (all-inclusive), extending to the booth level, ensuring that everyone is involved.

Senior BJP leaders will visit different states, state leaders will go to the districts, district leaders will visit the mandals, and mandal leaders will reach the Shakti Kendras. From there, Shakti Kendra leaders will connect with the booth level, allowing everyone to participate.

Dr Patra added that this campaign will be "Sarvsamaveshi" (all-encompassing), driven by the principles of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas" (Collective Support, Development, Trust, and Effort), offering every community the chance to join the Bharatiya Janata Party.

BJP National Spokesperson Dr Sambit Patra emphasized that in 1984, when the BJP won only 2 seats, it was mocked, but through determination and membership drives, the party has now secured power for the third consecutive time.

This shows that the BJP is well-versed in the art of perseverance. When the Jan Sangh emerged as an opposition, the two dominant political parties, Congress and the Communists, were rooted in foreign ideologies. Only the Bharatiya Janata Party's ideology grew from the soil of this land. Today, a membership drive for that very homegrown ideology is being launched. (ANI)