BJP’s membership drive a hit in UP, Delhi

The drive has, as on December 11, registered 21 lakh members in UP and 14 lakh in Delhi, where BJP has launched a powerful campaign for the upcoming assembly polls. From BJP bastion Gujarat, 12 lakh members have registered, while Maharashtra has given 10 lakh new members.

In the south, BJP has reason to smile in Karnataka, where nine lakh members have joined the party already.

Among the states BJP plans to expand in, West Bengal has given seven lakh new members, but the drive is just picking up in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where less than 2 lakh people have enrolled.

The data is based on number of people who registered using a toll free number BJP vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, in charge of the drive, is optimistic.

“The campaign is going well in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and picking up in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Assam. The target given is high. We have to enhance the speed,” he said.

He added that the campaign has broken community barriers. “Many Muslims in Assam and Christians in Kerala are joining. This is beyond expectations,” he said. In Tamil Nadu, the drive is attracting weaker sections of the society, he said.

Party leaders said the drive has not achieved expected results in strongholds like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh as BJP is busy with local elections.
Party leaders said the drive would make the party “acceptable” to more sections of the society.

“Membership drives in other parties is deeply influenced by local units. But, this campaign has made BJP the first party to leverage technogoly for roping in new members,” Sahasrabuddhe said.  The senior BJP leader also ruled out the prospects of unwanted members entering the party.

“No one can register from an anonymous number. Our call centre has data on every caller,” he said, adding that the party is expected to begin membership registration through receipts in March.

He added that all BJP cadre will be engaged in a mass contact programme and training in April, when verification of the registered members will take place.