LUCKNOW: The effect of the decision to repeal Art 370 in Jammu and Kashmir is witnessed on the polity of Uttar Pradesh also. It has certainly led to a soaring trajectory of BJP’s popularity in the state. The party, which used to register average three lakh members daily in UP at its ongoing membership drive prior to the political move, is now locking the figure at over six lakh per day after August 5 when Centre repealed Article 370 in the border state.
The figure reflects a 100 per cent jump in its popularity if the membership figure is any indication.
As per the organisational secretary Sunil Bansal, UP is heading the tally of states in making primary members so far in the country. Notably, PM Modi had launched BJP’s vigorous campaign to expand its ranks and files at Kashi on July 6 to be continued till August 20.
This time the party is aiming at adding nine crore new members across the country and touch the figure of 20 crore members from current 11 crore.
UP, which is a politically crucial state, has also taken up the onus of contributing at least one crore new members to the party’s overall figure.
Significantly, till Tuesday afternoon, the UP unit of BJP had inducted 48.66 lakh new members into the party fold.
“People from all walks of life beyond the barriers of caste, creed, religion and faith are joining the party,” claimed a senior BJP leader and party spokesman Dr Chandra Mohan.
According to Bansal, till August 13, UP unit had a strength of 1.37 crore new and old primary members together. Currently, the state shares over 30 per cent of the total BJP members across the country, said the senior BJP leader.
“This time we are going places where we had the least presence. The party has been able to add 60-70 per cent new members of the total electorate of such booths where BJP had no presence and it used to lose,” said a senior BJP leader.
With just four days left for the drive to end, the party has started the verification task of the primary members added to its fold during the drive. This exercise would continue till August 25.
Meanwhile, a plan to hold active membership 10-day drive between August 16 to Aug 26 has also been thrashed out. The drive took off on Friday and will continue till August 26. The verification of newly added active members would be done between August 26 and August 31.
In the meantime, the party has decided to hold organisational polls in the state from September 1. Currently, delimitation of sectors, mandals (organisational divisions) and voting centres is on at the organisational level.