The BhartiyaJanta Party (BJP) has fixed a target to add 20 per cent more members in J&K besides roping in all the 17 lakh voters who voted for it across the state in the recently held Parliamentary polls.
The party decided to make all the 17 lakh voters as itsbasic members at its working committee meet at Jammu on June 16. Directions tothis extent were also issued by the Minister of State in PMO, DrJitenderaSingh, at the meeting, sources privy to the working committee meet revealed.
In the recently held LokSabha polls in the state, the BJPwon three seats in the state— two in Jammu and one in Ladakh region.
According to the party insiders, the BJP got 46 per centvote share in the Parliamentary polls in the state, while it emerged as theleading contestant in various assembly constituencies including the TralAssembly segment in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district in the LS elections.
BJP state general secretary (organisation), Ashok Koul,confirmed that the party has decided to make all the 17 lakh voters, who showedfaith in the BJP in the recently concluded Parliamentary polls, as its basicmembers.
“Besides, we have set a target of adding 20 per cent moremembers to the party. This is aconstitutional binding on us and every member will be assigned his/her role inthe coming days,” he said.
Koul, who oversees organisational matters of BJP’s J&Kunit, said the party will start its membership drive from July 6 to August10.
“We will reach out to the people in all villages and townsand explain to them the party’s agenda for development, peace and prosperity,”he said.
Sources in the party said the basic purpose behindincreasing the membership was to “open our account in Kashmir during Assemblypolls.”
“By roping in people into the party fold, the aim is tostrengthen the party and ensure its victory on some crucial seats from Kashmirregion too,” he said.
BJP’s state spokesman Altaf Thakur said the party hasannounced the names of Jughal Kishore Dogra and PriyaSethi as the party’smembership drive incharge for Jammu region while as Ali Muhammad will lookafter the drive in Kashmir.
“The membership drive is provided under party constitutionas it helps to rejuvenate it at the grassroots level and infuses new energyinto its cadre,” he said.