Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav at the Parliament House complex, in New Delhi, Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
PTI
September is set to be a pivotal month for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) as it gears up for a massive membership drive across Madhya Pradesh. The campaign, which kicks off on September 2, will see BJP National President J P Nadda ceremoniously granting party membership to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This event will officially mark the commencement of the BJP's membership campaign in the state. Every BJP leader and functionary, from the Prime Minister down to local councilors, is required to renew their membership every six years.
This ongoing membership renewal is crucial for maintaining active status within the party. The MP CM Dr Mohan Yadav, state president Dr V D Sharma are expected to renew their membership on 3rd September at different places.
The MP BJP has set an ambitious target for its leaders and functionaries to enroll 1.50 crore new members in Madhya Pradesh by September 25. The campaign will mobilize the entire party machinery, from ministers and MPs to mayors and district-level leaders.
Every BJP office bearer has been given specific membership targets, with ministers and MLAs expected to bring in 15,000 new members each. Similarly, MPs are tasked with adding 25,000 new members, while mayors and municipal chairpersons will contribute 15,000 and 5,000 members respectively.
The BJP has appointed MLA Bhagwan Das Sabnani as the in-charge of Madhya Pradesh's membership campaign. Speaking to DH, Sabnani underlined that the state unit of BJP has set an ambitious target to achieve/enroll 1.50 core members in 2024.
During the previous drive of 2014 and 2019, the state unit had enrolled approx. 1 crore members (68 lakh and 20 lakh respectively) duly verified through fact-check. However, the alleged anomaly on account of mismatching figures could be due to use of multiple cell numbers by an individual. Sabnani refuted the local media reports of alleged manipulation/membership scam as baseless. The BJP, which is already the largest party, does not require any sort of manipulative gimmicks, he claimed.
Earlier, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has emphasized the importance of this membership drive, stating that every BJP leader's primary focus should be on enrolling new members. He also hinted that those who perform well in this campaign could be rewarded with key positions in various government committees, such as the Jan Bhagidari Committee and the Rogi Kalyan Committee.
The BJP's state leadership, including State President V D Sharma, has highlighted the need to focus on underrepresented voter groups and areas where the party has lost ground. Sharma urged party workers to conduct new experiments and focus on the voter categories that did not support the BJP in the previous assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Ahead of the campaign, workshops have been organized at the state, district, and divisional levels to prepare party workers for the task ahead. The BJP national general secretary Arun Singh maintained that these workshops are part of the party's "Sangathan Parv" (Organization Festival) and will culminate in a nationwide membership drive.
The BJP has appointed MLA Bhagwan Das Sabnani as the in-charge of Madhya Pradesh's membership campaign. He will be supported by a team that includes State Vice Presidents Jitu Jirati and Mukesh Chaturvedi, among others. Each district will form a "1+3" membership group, comprising a coordinator and three workers, to ensure that the campaign runs smoothly.
At least 200 new members are expected to be enrolled at each booth, with daily monitoring of progress via a referral code system. New BJP members can be enrolled through four different methods:
1. Missed Call: A missed call to 8800002024 will generate a link to the membership form, which can be filled out and submitted online.
2. QR Code: Scanning a QR code will open the membership form, which can be completed online.
3. Namo App and Organization App: These platforms will also facilitate the membership process.
4. BJP Website: The party's official website will provide another avenue for enrolling new members.
As the BJP's membership campaign rolls out across Madhya Pradesh, party leaders are confident that their efforts will significantly bolster the party's ranks. The drive is part of a larger, nationwide initiative aimed at expanding the BJP's member base ahead of upcoming elections.