Fresh BJP membership drive to begin in July

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 16

Himachal BJP cadre, relaxing after spectacular victory in the Lok Sabha elections, are back to work as BJP president has asked the state unit to increase membership by 20 per cent before the organizational elections likely to be held in September.

The BJP had enrolled 13 lakh members till March when the organizational polls were deferred due to the Lok Sabha elections. Now the party has been given a target to enroll 2.60 lakh more members, state party Chief Satpal Singh Satti told The Tribune.

Satti has appointed party general secretary Ram Singh and state party vice-president Rajiv Bharadwaj as in charge and co-in charge for fresh membership drive from July 6 which will continue tillthe end of August.

The BJP, which polled over 37 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha polls, is upbeat and senior party leaders are hopeful of achieving the target. The membership would be done digitally and the concerned members would submit the record to state party leadership. Earlier also the party had resorted to missed-call system for enrollment of members and the same pattern would be followed.

The BJP is particularly eyeing youth as they had voted for the party overwhelmingly in the recent Lok Sabha elections and party had emerged stronger, said a senior BJP leader. There are 68 Assembly constituencies in the state and on an average, 4,000 members would be added in each constituency. Panna Pramukhs would be key players in the renewed membership drive.

Meanwhile, the state BJP executive would meet here on June 19 and 20 to discuss the post election and future strategy. The state office bearers would meet on June 19. The district BJP presidents and general secretaries would also attend the meeting of the state executive.