NEW DELHI:  The general secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi Kuljeet Singh Chahal has been appointed convener of the party’s membership drive, which is to be launched next month. Former east Delhi Mayor Harsh Malhotra has been made co- convener. The party aims to add 10 lakh new members during the initiative starting from July 6. Chahal said the membership drive assumes significance as assembly election in the national capital is due next year.

“People may give a missed call to a dedicated number to take the membership. We will also carry out the drive manually. It will start from July 6 and end on August 11. Presently, we have around 22 lakh members, which we want to increase to 32 lakh. This has become an important exercise in the run-up to the assembly elections,” he said.

The BJP leader further added that soon, conveners, to bring more members to the party, at district and block levels would appointed.“A membership drive is conducted after every six years,” Chahal said.Chahla’s appointment has surprised a section of the city BJP leaders as they said that he is not considered close to state president Manoj Tiwari.“Their names were finalised despite the fact that the state leadership and leaders close to Tiwari were not in their favour. This is not a good sign for Tiwari in an election year,” a senior Delhi BJP leader said.

According to Delhi BJP leaders, the names of former general secretary of local unit Ashish Sood, incumbent of vice president of Delhi BJP Rajiv Babbar and the in-charge of the party’s booth management department Dharambir Singh were recommended for the membership drive.Sood and Babbar were the LS poll in-charges of east Delhi and south Delhi seats.

“The selection of Chahal and Malhotra is a setback for Tiwari. What is more surprising is that for the coveted posts — chairmanship of the standing committee in three municipal corporations, the party has nominated councilors, who are seen as close to the anti-Tiwari faction,” another Delhi BJP leader said.
Jai Prakash (north Delhi Municipal Corporation), Bhupender Gupta (south Delhi Municipal Corporation) and Sandeep Kapoor (east Delhi Municipal Corporation) are BJP’s candidates for this position.
Tiwari could not be reached for a comment on the appointments.