Bengaluru, Apr 3 (DHNS): Weeks after the RSS red-flagged leadership-workers disconnect, BJP president Amit Shah got a pat on his back by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his relentless efforts to make the party the largest in the world by enrolling 10 crore members.
Addressing office-bearers for close to 40 minutes on the eve of the two-day national executive, Modi said on Thursday that the “party is important and government is only a tool” to achieve its objectives, said BJP sources.
The membership drive was launched last November and was extended for a month on April 1 as Shah has set a target of 17 crore, which was the number of votes the BJP had got in the last Lok Sabha elections.
Modi’s speech, too, echoed similar sentiments since he stated that it is good that voters are becoming party members, which meant “plus one” — one more vote added.
He also exhorted the party to encourage at least 10,000 among the new 10 crore members for the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. Modi told the office-bearers that the initiative should not just be used for political purpose but for social movements. “People who brought social changes are remembered, like Mahatma Gandhi and Ram Manohar Lohia,” he remarked.
To become a member of the BJP, a person needs to call a particular number from his or her cell phone. The missed call automatically sends a message back to the caller asking for details, such as name and address. Only after that does one technically become a member. After the national executive, the party workers will physically reach out to these new members to verify the authenticity of the membership details obtained electronically to weed out anomalies. Modi’s appreciation for his close aide Shah comes as a major morale booster with the party suffering defeat in the Delhi Assembly polls after successive wins to form governments in states like Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir.
The day-long BJP national office-bearers meeting also resolved to groom a crop of dedicated full-time workers. State-wise reports on the drive were also presented as Shah told the party leaders about the BJP becoming the largest party in the world and was greeted by a thunderous applause, party sources said.
The BJP is keen to expand its base of active workers who would work full-time for the party, akin to the pracharaks of the RSS. As many as 15 lakh active workers who were instrumental in enrolling more than 100 members each would be provided training at the taluk, state and district levels.
While one-day training programmes would be organised at the taluk level, two-day training programmes would be organised at the district level and three-day camps would be held at the state level.
Shah urged the office-bearers to give full thrust to membership drive for the next month. Sources said several office-bearers gave suggestions that ranged from having farmer friendly crop insurance schemes to improving one’s lifestyle by practising yoga.
Senior minister Venkaiah Naidu said the opposition’s “disinformation” campaign against the land acquisition ordinance should be nipped in the bud. Modi, who joined the meeting in the evening, lent a patient hearing to the suggestions.
An economic resolution to be moved at the national executive will take stock of the politico-economic situation under the Modi government. The resolution to be moved by senior office-bearer Bhupendra Yadav will highlight various programmes such as Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, Jan Dhan Yojana among others.
Another resolution on “foreign policy” to be moved by party national general secretary Ram Madav will highlight the government’s success in the international arena during the last 10 months.
The national executive is expected to chalk out a road-map aimed at expanding the party’s base in the southern and north-eastern states where it is weak.