New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday kicked off the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) membership campaign, officially registering himself as the inaugural member. The event, held at the BJP headquarters, was attended by key figures including BJP President JP Nadda, and Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah. The initiative is designed to update the membership records of current members and attract new ones, in accordance with the party’s constitutional mandates.
Here’s what the PM said during the event:
- Another round of ‘Sadasyata Abhiyan’ is beginning today. From the Bharatiya Jana Sangh era to now, we have made every effort to create a new political culture in the country.
- The BJP is the only party expanding its work by strictly adhering to democratic processes as outlined in its constitution and continuously working to meet the hopes and aspirations of the common people, he said.
- The organisation or political party through which people give power—if it doesn’t adhere to democratic values or maintain internal democracy—will face the issues seen in many other political parties today.
- What happens when parties don’t follow internal democracy is evident in many political parties.
- This membership drive is not just a ritual; it’s an expansion of our family. It’s not about the numbers we achieve. This drive is an ideological and emotional movement.
- During the Jansangh era, when I was not in politics, workers painted lamps on walls with great enthusiasm. Many leaders mocked, saying you can’t reach the corridors of power by painting lamps on walls. We were the ones who painted lotus symbols on walls with devotion, believing that someday, the lotus painted on the walls would also be painted on hearts.
- It was said that our karyakartas (members) were either traveling or in jail. They traveled extensively and worked for society, which often led to them being constantly on the move or imprisoned.
- This membership drive and organisational structure… During this period, a 33 per cent reservation for women could have been implemented in state assemblies and the Lok Sabha. If this reservation comes into effect this term, should I include those in my membership campaign who can help elect the maximum number of women as MLAs and MPs in such a crucial decision for my party?
