Express News Service By

NEW DELHI: After the BJP’s membership figures reached 8.8 crores, the party claimed it has become the world’s largest political party in terms of members after Communist Party of China which has 8.6 crore members.

The BJP figures touched 8.8 crores on Sunday, even as the party had set a target of enrolling over 10 crore members by March 31. The membership drive was started in November last, in which anyone can enrol as member after giving a missed call to a number provided by the party.

The last one crore members were added in merely eight days when the party touched the 8-crore mark on March 23. The leaders say the party has the maximum members from Uttar Pradesh where the BJP is aiming at forming a government on its own after the 2017 assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the Congress would also launch an application to start its online membership drive.

After enrolling all these members, the BJP would discuss its further expansion plans during its national executive meeting in Bangalore. The saffron party would later start orientation programmes for these newly inducted members to educate them on party’s ideology, so that they stay connected to it. These training programmes will be conducted across the country in camps starting from August. Sources said party would also carry out authentication drive of the enrolled members.

After from the online membership, the BJP has started another process of enlisting members as “active members” if they enrol atleast 100 new members.