Assam: BJP Extends Membership Drive As Target Falls Short

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has extended its membership drive in Assam as the much-hyped exercise allegedly failed to achieve the desired results. While some constituencies enrolled members double the target, the drive remains far below the expectation in Upper Assam constituencies. ETV Bharat’s Manik Kumar Roy reports.

Guwahati (Assam):The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has extended its membership drive in Assam to achieve the desired results regarding the much-hyped exercise in the state, which started ahead of assembly elections slated for next year.

According to the BJP officials, the membership drive has been extended till October 9 and beyond to achieve the target of at least 5 million members in the party fold before next year’s election. The saffron party has also engaged two Union ministers—Minister of State for Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita to encourage people to join the BJP.

The BJP was confident of registering at least 40,000 new members in each of the 126 assembly segments in Assam. Although it could enrol more than the targeted members in some segments, the drive couldn’t attract encouraging members in most of the constituencies, particularly those that fall in the Upper Assam, per official sources.

To recall, the party came to power in Assam in 2016, overthrowing a Congress government after three consecutive terms since 2001. The membership drive is a strategy to assess the BJP’s popularity and to strengthen the party’s base in the state as well.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said that 43.67 lakh people have so far taken BJP membership during the drive that started on September 2. He said that the membership drive will continue in those constituencies where the party has failed to achieve the target of 40,000 members.

“Our target is to have at least 50 lakh members enrolled in at least 100 of the state’s total 126 assembly constituencies. In some constituencies, the membership drive remained below 40,000,” he said.

Another top BJP leader stated that the party received double the desired new members in several seats, such as the seat represented by CM Biswa; the party received more than 86,616 members, while Jagiroad and Nalbari received 83,927 and 81,555 members, respectively. Cabinet Ministers Piyush Hazarika and Jayanta Mallabaruah represent the Jagiroad and Nalbari seats, respectively.

A few other constituencies have been able to enrol over 50,000 members, but in 25 constituencies the membership drive is restrained below 40,000 members—causing a worry for the saffron party.

Another major concern for the ruling party is that its membership drive failed to reach the targeted number in some of the constituencies held by its leaders.

Sources in the BJP headquarters further said that the membership drive might be criteria for the party while giving tickets for the 2026 assembly polls. Those legislators who fail to achieve the target may not be given tickets to contest the elections.

While the population of Assam is over 3 crore, it has only 2,43,01.960 eligible electorates as per the electoral rolls published before the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.