PM Modi recalls his days in Himachal Pradesh as he becomes 1st BJP member

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 2

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday recalled his days in Himachal Pradesh as he became the first member of BJP on the launch of the party’s national membership drive.

Under the BJP constitution, the party has to enrol new members every five years. The drive was delayed due to Covid-19. On the eve of the drive launch, everyone, from PM to booth-level worker, ceases to be a BJP member and must enrol afresh.

“I still remember my days in Himachal and how I used to trek the whole day to reach one village. When I finally reached, I would be offered a hot cup of tea. I can still feel the warmth of that cup,” recalled Modi as JP Nadda made him the first member upon the launch of the party’s membership campaign.

The PM urged party cadres to reach tough terrains during the membership period and drive and take up challenging tasks of enrolling people in far-flung areas, including tribals.

Narrating his own days in the organisation and how he would trek through Himachal to make new members, Modi set lofty goals for the party which embarked on the mission to exceed the current membership of 18 crore.

He asked BJP workers to enrol entire border villages and convert these into “BJP fortresses”.

Modi also told the party to plan dedicated drives to enrol 18- to 25-year olds into the saffron fold.

“I do not look at the youth as merely from the electoral prism. They are for me the very foundations of the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. People say the BJP is an election machine, but there cannot be a bigger insult to us than this. We are not an election machine. Election is a mere by-product of the diligence of our workers. We are like water and fertiliser for the dreams of our people. We are the flag-bearers of nation first ideology and we have to prepare the new generation that keeps the nation first,” Modi said, asking the BJP to launch membership drives from the weakest booths where the party got the least votes in elections.

In a veiled message to BJP leaders, PM urged them to shun insecurities about inducting fresh talent.

“Many people wonder what will happen to them if new blood comes. This approach is a recipe for stagnation. New people will bring new energy to achieve our ambitious goals. And we must remember that we will move up when we induct new people below us,” Modi said to the party workers at a gathering in BJP headquarters here today.

He also asked the party organisation to reach the beneficiaries of the government’s housing schemes and enrol them as members.