BJP sets target to add 20,000 members in Andamans

Port Blair, Aug 23 (PTI) The BJP has set a target to increase its membership in Andaman and Nicobar Islands by 20,000 during a drive from September, a senior leader said on Friday.

BJP national secretary and spokesperson Anil Antony asserted that the target is “ambitious but achievable”.

“BJP had only 8,126 members in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2014. The number increased to 55,000 in 2019,” Antony said at a press conference here.

“The membership drive would be held in phases from September 1 to November 10. Individuals can sign up through a missed call, via digital platforms or through a manual membership drive,” he said.

Antony said a series of events would be held in the coming months, including workshops at morcha, mandal and booth levels on August 31, to achieve the target.

The membership campaign will be held in two phases from September 1 to September 25 and from October 1 to October 31.

“On September 25, we will conduct a door-to-door membership drive and on October 1, a special meeting with prominent people will be held. On November 10, there will be digital campaigns across the archipelago,” he said.

BJP state vice-president and the party’s media-in-charge, M Vinod said both online and offline membership drives will be held in the islands due to poor mobile and internet connectivity in some remote areas.

“Apart from missed calls and online drives, we will also go for enrolment through paper receipts in remote areas. We are confident of achieving the target. We look forward to more development in the Union territory,” he said.

BJP candidate Bishnu Pada Ray defeated sitting Congress MP Kuldeep Rai Sharma by a margin of 24,087 votes in the Lok Sabha elections this year.