BackBJP 2.0: A mass-based political party
Under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, the party is morphing from a cadre-driven to a mass-based one
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New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party is undergoing a fundamental transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah—it is morphing from a cadre-driven to a mass-based political party.
In the next five months, the BJP is aiming to enrol at least 9 crore people—or more than half the number that voted for BJP in the 16th general election—as members. The programme was launched on 1 November.
If successfully implemented, not only will it give the party a launch pad for a pan-India presence, it will also rival the Congress as a mass-based party. At the moment the BJP is a cadre-based party that draws from the Hindutva-based ideology of its parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The challenge, analysts point out, will be in retaining the close-knit character of the cadre-based party while its membership expands.
Senior leaders of the BJP point out that while the recruitment drive has drawn a good response in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh where the party performed well in the Lok Sabha elections, it is also targeting states such as West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, where it has yet to establish itself firmly.
“This is the most opportune time for the party to grow. It is because of the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that people have once again started to feel that politics is not such a bad word. Prime Minister has succeeded to restore respect to politics which was eroded because of the previous ruling party was named in scams during its tenure," said Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, vice-president of the BJP and a key leader behind the recruitment drive.
Before the launch of the drive the BJP had 3.5 crore members. “In the first 20 days, BJP has managed to enrol 70 lakh people through the use of mobile phones. BJP will also renew the membership of the 3.5 crore people who are already members. The target this time is to reach 9 crore," Sahasrabuddhe added.
BJP leaders pointed out that there are 83.4 crore registered voters in the country of whom 55.4 crore had voted in the general elections this time. Sahasrabuddhe said out of these 55.4 crore, 17 crore had voted for the BJP. He said this is the first time that the BJP is using technology to enrol members. “We have a mobile phone number on which people can call and register themselves. It is for the first time that we are asking people to give their residence address, details of voter ID cards and pin code. This is to ensure that there are no false members and each person is counted."
The BJP is also planning massive road shows by prominent leaders, including central ministers and state leaders, to further boost the drive. The party also wants to contact professional groups of engineers, doctors, chartered accountants and lawyers to persuade people to join the BJP.
“The people who will be recruited will be given volunteer work. They will be asked to join the booth committees of the party so that they can communicate about the policies and work of the government so that people remain supportive of the party. The challenge is not just to give work to the people who join the BJP but it is also a challenge to keep together the people who had voted for the party," said a senior BJP leader who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Political analysts believe that with the rapid expansion of the BJP in the country, the control of the RSS over the party will increase. “It is like the BJP is trying to become like the Congress party. The cadre has always been there and it is mainly of the RSS. With this kind of expansion, more control will be of RSS. Huge membership will also lead to factionalism in the party," said P.K. Datta, a Delhi-based political analyst.
Datta said the rapid expansion of the BJP means the party will have to find answers to its Hindutva agenda. “What will happen to the Hindutva agenda? The whole presumption is that the BJP will continue to be in power for the next 10-20 years. If the BJP loses elections then there will be a problem. It’s a risk the BJP is taking," Datta added.
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