Taking a dig at the Opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the BJP is the only political party that is following the democratic process.

PM Modi, who launched the Bharatiya Janata Party’s national membership campaign ‘Sangathan Parva, Sadasyata Abhiyan 2024’ at the party headquarters here, said: “This is the only political party in India that is following the democratic process while expanding its work, and continues to improve to live up to the expectations of the people.”

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“Several generations have invested their lives into this party, then today the party has made its place in the hearts of the people,” the Prime Minister said.

He said from the days of Bharatiya Jana Sangh till now, “we have made all possible efforts to bring a new political culture in the country.”

“Another round of ‘Sadasyata Abhiyan’ is beginning today. From Bharatiya Jana Sangh till now, we have made all possible efforts to bring a new political culture in the country. The organisation or political party through which people give power, that unit, that organisation, that party… if it doesn’t follow democratic values, if internal democracy doesn’t live in it, then a situation arises which is faced by several other political parties today,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi received his BJP membership renewal certificate from party president JP Nadda at the ‘Sangathan Parva, Sadasyata Abhiyan 2024’ here.

PM Modi became the first member of the BJP for the campaign by giving a missed call to 8800002024, followed by receiving an SMS from the party to complete his membership registration.

The launch marked the beginning of BJP’s ‘Sangathan Parva, Sadasyata Abhiyan 2024’ aimed at expanding its membership nationwide.

PM Modi, who launched the BJP’s 2024 membership drive by renewing his membership, said the membership drive and the organisational structure that will be established during this period will coincide with the implementation of 33 per cent reservation in Legislative Assemblies and Parliament.

“If this 33 per cent reservation for women is to be introduced during this time, then in my membership drive, can we include all those individuals who can help my party ensure that the maximum number of women are elected as MLAs and MPs, thus making this crucial decision a success?” he said.

“This very membership drive isn’t just a ritual. It’s an expansion of our family…It isn’t a game of numbers. It doesn’t matter the numbers we achieve. This membership drive is an ideological and emotional movement,” he added.

The Prime Minister recalled his early days in the party and said he painted Lotus on the walls and always had faith that Lotus will bloom in people’s hearts.

“When I was not in politics, at the time of Jana Sangh, our workers used to paint ‘diya’ (symbol of Jana Sangh) on walls with enthusiasm… and leaders of several political parties used to mock, saying that one cannot reach the corridors of power by painting ‘diyas’ on walls. We are those who painted ‘lotus’ on walls with such confidence that we knew, one day the ‘lotus’ painted on walls will be painted on hearts of the people,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi also turned emotional while recalling the struggle of the BJP workers. “Our party workers used to protest against those in power for the issues of the people. So they kept going to and coming out of jail. 50 years ago, People of Jan Sangh were doing ‘Satyagraha’ in Ahmedabad and so many people were jailed just for agitating. One of the women workers who went to jail, spent a month in jail with her 9-month-old baby. That’s how BJP reached here…and those people who committed this crime…they had so much greed for power,” he said.

He urged the BJP members to make border villages a stronghold of the party.

BJP President JP Nadda endorsed PM Modi’s membership, setting the stage for a nationwide drive.

The campaign is structured in phases: The first phase will conclude on September 25, followed by the second phase from October 1 to 15, and an active membership drive from October 16 to 31. The campaign will set membership targets for each unit, from booth to state levels, based on the party’s performance in the recent elections.

The first 15 days of the campaign will focus on door-to-door outreach in every booth before moving on to larger public activities.

Following Modi’s registration, other senior party leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, also enrolled as BJP members.

Addressing the gathering, Shah praised the BJP’s democratic approach to membership, contrasting it with other political parties of the country.

He also highlighted the party’s record and expressed confidence that the BJP would surpass its previous membership numbers, aiming for over 10 crore members.

The Union Home Minister also cited major achievements of the Modi government, including the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, the abrogation of Article 370, and the development of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.

He underscored that the membership drive was integral to BJP’s vision of a developed India.

Nadda emphasised that the BJP requires all its members to renew their membership every six years, adhering to its democratic principles.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh acknowledged the erosion of public trust in leaders, but highlighted PM Modi’s commitment to integrity and transparency, which has guided the party’s approach to politics and governance.