HYDERABAD: In a major boost to its efforts to strengthen its base in Telangana, the state unit of BJP has achieved the membership drive target set by the saffron party’s high command. The party, which is hoping to win the next Assembly elections in the state, is said to have enrolled almost 40 lakh members.
Speaking to TNIE, BJP state secretary and co-in-charge of membership drive Kolli Madhavi said: “The party’s membership has reached almost 40-lakh mark. Of this, 33 membership forms have been submitted online and over five lakh members are being enrolled by processing the ‘missed calls’ data.”
The party high command has placed a special focus on membership drive in Telangana. The fact that the leadership has also been holding weekly reviews, following up with every aspect of the membership drive, as well as the use of technology has helped the party enrol highest number of members for the first time in the state.
The party, which managed to enrol just 11 lakh members in its membership drive, achieved its target this time mainly due to the boost it received after its more than satisfactory show in the recent Lok Sabha elections leading to both the cadre as well as second rung leaders working tirelessly in the drive.
Senior leaders, including Union ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs, also led from the front in the membership drive by using their referral codes, missed calls and the online applications.
The recent meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with MPs, MLAs, MLC and other leaders in New Delhi also boosted the confidence of party cadre and gave them the impression that the high command is seriously working towards gaining power in the state.
Leadership to reach out to every new member
The high command now wants to initiate the process of reaching out to each of these members and take their help to draw more people towards to the party with the ultimate aim of translating that support base into their voter base in the state.
Meanwhile, Kolli Madhavi revealed that a few leaders managed to enrol over one lakh members in rural areas, including tribal hamlets, where there is internet network, by helping the people to manually fill the applications.
“The entire process will be completed by the end of this month,” she said.
“This (membership drive) has boosted the morale of everyone, including the cadre across the state,” she said while crediting the high command’s directions and the efforts of all the state leaders for the successful membership drive.