New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday launched its nationwide membership drive that will go on till August 10 to add 20% more members to its current strength of 11 crore by enrolling not less than 2.20 crore. The membership drive is prelude to the new organisational elections of the party to elect the new president in place of Home Minister Amit Shah by the end of the year. PM Modi launched the membership drive in Varanasi, Amit Shah in Rangareddy, Telangana, while BJP working president Jagat Prakash Nadda travelled to Varanasi to join Modi in launching the programme.
In Delhi, BJP vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan and organising general secretary Ramlal declared the drive open. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh travelled to Jaipur to launch the membership campaign there. Earlier, he joined ministers and MPs in paying floral homage to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee in the Central Hall of Parliament on his birth anniversary. The party chose the Jayanti of Mookerjee to launch the membership drive that was delayed due to the General Election Meanwhile, PM Modi unveiled a statue of former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri at the Varanasi airport.
