BJP membership drive: Modi enrols himself as first online member

Buoyed by recent poll victories, BJP on Saturday embarked on a fresh membership drive amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong pitch for making it all inclusive so that all sections of the society feel their "flower" is represented in this "bouquet" of the party.

Modi, who launched the renewed campaign and became its first member, asked the party cadres to be public representatives in true sense by living up to the people's expectations from the ruling party.

"Our country is full of diversity. BJP should also be seen as full of diversity. The bouquet of crores of BJP workers should be such that people from all regions should feel that their flower is also represented in this bouquet," he said at a function in New Delhi to launch the drive which will continue till March 31 next.

"People from all sections should feel their representative is also part of this bouquet. The party's expansion should be such that it should touch everyone and have widest reach," he said.

The comments assume significance as BJP is mainly seen as a party confined to Hindus and Hindi heartland.

Modi noted that people's expectations from political leaders and parties have changed over the years and they now expect them to play an important role in public life and help improve their lives.

Contending that BJP has raced ahead of its rivals in the country, he told the party cadres to reach out to all sections of the society so as it represents the country's true diversity.

"The era of mass agitations for politics seems over...Now people expect parties and their leaders to play significant role in public life," he said.

Modi said to run the country and take it forward, one has to bring a change in it.

"The better the information flow from bottom to top, the healthier is the decision-making process at the top. Till there is no perfect flow of information from bottom to top, perfect guidance from the top is not possible," he said.

The prime minister said that for the development of the party, its horizontal as well as vertical growth is essential and called upon partymen not to leave a single village unrepresented.

Terming BJP as an important democratic organ across the world, he said the party should aspire to be an inspiration for all political parties globally and said it never positioned itself like a force to reckon with in the democratic order.

"BJP is one of the most important organisations in the world. Yet we have never positioned it like that. To be a member of BJP is to live the disciplined life it demands... every member of BJP is a representative of the people," he added.

He asked research scholars from universities and social scientists the world over to study the process of the party's membership drive on how a person takes his first step in politics.

"The membership drive should be cited as a case study before the world," he said inviting research scholars from across the world to see and study this "pure and democratic" exercise to reach every section of society.

Making full use of the digital technology, Modi became the first member of the party by dialling a toll-free number and called upon people across the country to join him in doing so.

"By giving me this opportunity, on Saturday, BJP has honoured me. To be a member of such a party is also a matter of pride," Modi said.

He said getting membership of BJP earlier was difficult but it has become easier now due to the digital revolution adopted by the party.

He told the party cadres not to bother about other parties, contending that BJP has already taken a big lead.

"Put your everything into it...Like you do during an election campaign...It (the drive) should become an inspiration for parties across the world," the prime minister told the BJP cadres.

Earlier, party chief Amit Shah said that to make the country strong they should associate themselves with the government and the party.

"The membership drive will continue from November 1 to March 31, which will also have special campaigns and days for women, students, youth and businessmen," he said.

Shah said the party's aim is to have three times its current membership from the current 3.5 crores.

"This membership drive has to be taken differently by all BJP cadres as the party is in power now. This membership drive is very important for the party. Once more and more people get associated with it, the party will be strengthened and so will the country and the country," he said.

Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dials the membership number as BJP President Amit Shah and Ram Lal look on during the launch of Bharatiya Janata Partys membership drive at party headquarters in New Delhi. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo