BHUBANESWAR: Even as the State BJP claimed to have enrolled more that 30 lakh people as primary members of the party, the CPM has raised a furore over the SMS campaign.
After receiving a call followed by an SMS welcoming him to the BJP, senior CPM leader Janardan Pati has petitioned the office of Chief Election Commission (CEC) demanding action against the saffron party for this unsolicited action.
Welcoming him to BJP, the message also provided him membership number - 1079741000 - with a request to text his name, address, pin code and other details to a particular number in order to complete the process, Pati said.
Pati, a member of CPM since 1969 and a central committee member for the last two decades, said such a campaign by the BJP violates his fundamental rights. The BJP has no right to impose membership on anybody and this is against the law, he added. In his petition, the CPM leader sought intervention of the Election Commission.
“The call being made to all mobile subscribers says if they want to join BJP, they should call a certain number. Nobody can become a member till they make the call,” State BJP president KV Singhdeo said.
Co-in-charge of the membership drive in the State Bhrugu Baxipatra said the number of registered membership of the party crossed 30 lakh mark on Sunday.
“As the last date for membership drive has been extended by a month till April 30, we are confident to reach the target of 40 lakh membership,” Baxipatra told this paper.
National BJP president Amit Shah had set the target for the State on the basis of votes polled by the party in 2014 general elections.
The BJP had bagged 46 lakh votes compared to 20 lakh votes in 2009 elections.