BJP increased its strength by over 4.55 crore members during recent membership drive, says Shivraj Singh Chouhan

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), during its recent membership drive, has increased its strength by over 4.55 crore members, taking the number of its members to 15.55 crore, said the convenor of BJP membership drive Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday.[caption id="attachment_3938695" align="alignleft" width="380"]

File image of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. AFP[/caption]"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah and guidance of Working President JP Nadda and General Secretary BL Santhosh, the BJP has added over 4.55 crore members as part of the membership campaign", former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted.The BJP leader, who headed the party's membership campaign thanked the party workers for their efforts in adding new members to the party fold and hoped that the party would create a new record."Through continuing efforts of the party workers, 50 lakh new members were added through the offline process", he said. BJP's membership drive began on 6 July, the birth anniversary of its founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, and concluded on 20 August.The party had claimed to have 11 crore members ahead of the beginning of membership drive. The party had set the target to increase the number of members by 20 percent, which is 2.20 crore. The membership drive was the first step towards the election of the new BJP president who is likely to elected by January 2020.Nearly 67 lakh new members were added in Uttar Pradesh taking the numbers of BJP members in the electorally crucial state to over 1.95 crore. On a single day, the party added 10 lakh new members on 19 August.The party added over 15 lakh new members in Delhi within a span of 1.5 months. The party has also gained in increasing its strength in West Bengal, where over 35 lakh new members joined the party.According to party leaders during the successful membership drive over three crore new members were added through missed calls while around one lakh were added through Namo App and the BJP website.