Why a BJP membership drive in Madhya Pradesh ran into opposition – from ABVP

Senior BJP leaders in Indore and Bhopal label it a “misunderstanding”, say problem resolved

Madhya Pradesh BJP, ABVP, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Indian express news, current affairs

The BJP has set itself a target of enrolling 100 members in each of the 64,871 booths in Madhya Pradesh. On Tuesday, when ABVP students at the college were attending classes, they spotted some BJP workers entering the campus for a membership drive.

A mega membership exercise carried out by the BJP in Madhya Pradesh ran into rough weather at a government college in Indore. But it wasn’t the opposition they were expecting – rather, the RSS-affiliated student organisation, ABVP, was the one that protested against the drive, asking that “temples of learning not be turned into hotbeds of politics”.

Armed with the slogans of “Jab jab chhatra bola hai, raj singhasan dola hai (whenever the student has spoken, the throne has shaken)”, ABVP students protested against the principal at Government Holkar Science College, even as Indore-3 MLA Golu Shukla and BJP Indore city president Gaurav Randive tried to reason with students.

Eventually, principal Suresh T Silawat had to issue a written order that “no political event will take place” inside the college premises “without the ABVP’s consent”.

ABVP Indore city secretary Ritesh Patel told The Indian Express, “We found some BJP workers carrying out membership drives. We asked why this was being done and found that the principal had given permission. The principal said we can’t deny them permission, so we began protesting.”

Patel said, “We told them that today, the BJP has come, and tomorrow, some other party will. We said this should be a temple of learning, not a hotbed of politics.”

Another senior ABVP member said, “There may be ideological similarities between the ABVP and BJP but that doesn’t mean we will allow them to enter campuses. We protested in four other colleges when we got to know about the membership drives. We have coordinated with members in other districts, asking them not to allow the BJP inside campuses.”

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Senior BJP leaders in Indore and Bhopal told The Indian Express that the “misunderstanding” has been resolved.

MLA Shukla said, “ABVP and BJP are the same. They did not oppose us. We resolved the issue. Some workers may have gone inside the college campuses and there may have been a misunderstanding.”

Randive said “the BJP membership drive in Indore was a success with 5 lakh new members”.

“This incident was a misunderstanding. ABVP works inside the campus, we were outside. ABVP has its own stand. We have tried our best to tell them that we will do the membership outside the college campus,” he told The Indian Express.

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BJP spokesperson Narendra Saluja said the ABVP will not oppose the membership drive. “ABVP is our student body. There is no issue now.”

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More