BJP president J.P. Nadda takes dig at Congress over party’s democratic setup 

The Congress party has never accorded the same level of significance to its membership programme as the BJP does, he said

In the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the son of a leader does not automatically become leader, but emerges from the grassroots cadre instead, J.P. Nadda, BJP national president said in Bhubaneswar on Thursday (September 26, 2024).

Taking a dig at Congress over its party structure, Mr. Nadda said, “The Congress party has never accorded the same level of significance to its membership programme as the BJP does. This highlights the seriousness with which the BJP approaches membership.”

“The BJP is a truly national, democratic, and ideological party. It has got a cadre base and a mass following. It is the only political party with true democratic set up among 5,000 parties including 50 active ones in the country,” he said addressing intellectual groups.

“Membership in the BJP is transparent and digital. When we say we have 18 crore members, we back with records,” the party’s president pointed out.

“Today, the BJP boasts over 10.40 lakh booths, with more than 8.40 lakh cadres appointed president. Additionally, there are over 1.5 lakh shakti kendras and more than 15,000 mandals operating across India, all functioning on a robust cadre-based structure,” said Mr. Nadda.

“Which political party in India truly operates on ideology? After 1947, when Mahatma Gandhi suggested that the Congress party, having achieved its goal of independence, should be disbanded, leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru chose not to follow this advice. This marked the beginning of their deviation from ideology,” the BJP president said.

Mr. Nadda said, “The Left parties, which started with one ideology, diverged from their original path. While the Left and Congress are opponents in Kerala and West Bengal, they present themselves as allies in Delhi.”

“The Congress has become the spokesperson for urban Naxalism and has allied with parties advocating for the reintroduction of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. In contrast, this is unacceptable to the BJP,” he said.

Published - September 26, 2024 07:38 pm IST