JP Nadda praised the BJP's Himachal's unit for succeeding in rasing its primary membership by 9.56 lakh

The BJP is now a 17.50 crore-strong party in the country with six crore new members joining it in the last 54 days, party's working president Jagat Prakash Nadda said on Monday.

The BJP's membership has increased from 11 crore to 17.50 crore in just 54 days since June-July this year when the membership drive for it was launched, he said.

Mr Nadda made the remark while addressing a public meeting here during his maiden visit to his home district Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh after becoming the BJP's national working president in June this year.

Mr Nadda attributed the "impressive" growth of the party's membership to the Narendra Mod government's policies and works, including the revocation Jammu and Kashmir's special status after negation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

"The Congress was surprised how the BJP government succeeded in passing the bills negating Articles 370 and 35 A despite having no majority in the Rajya Sabha," said Mr Nadda.

"The crucial laws like the Prevention of Corruption Act was not in force in the state before the revocation of these provisions," he said.

Pointing out how the two Constitutional provisions negated political rights of a section of people residing in J&K, Mr Nadda said, "Anyone who migrated to India from Pakistan during partition in 1947 were entitled to become even the prime minister as IK Gujral and Manmohan Singh became one and LK Advani became the deputy PM after migrating from the west Pakistan."

"On the contrary, those who settled in Jammu and Kashmir after migration from Pakistan could not have become even a councillor before abrogation of these articles," he said.

Even tribals and dalits were not provided reservation in government jobs or in admission to the state-run educational institutions in J&K when articles 370 and 35 A were in force, he added.

The terrorist incidents too have drastically reduced in the state which is now on the path of development, claimed Mr Nadda.

Counting various achievements of the Centre and state government, he said, "As many as 46 lakh people have been benefitted by the Rs 7,000-crore, world's biggest healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat."

Talking of the law that made the triple talaq diktat an offence, Mr Nadda asked, "If the country has banned Sati custom and dowry, how could have been Muslim women left out?"

"The Modi government passed a legislation banning the triple talaq," he added.

Mr Nadda also praised the BJP's Himachal's unit for succeeding in rasing its primary membership by 9.56 lakh, making it a 23 lakh-strong party in the state in a few months. The BJP earlier had 13 lakh primary members before the launch of its membership drive.

Mr Nadda also appreciated the state unit for increasing the number of its active members from 30000 to 40000.

He also lauded the active participation of state''s natives in electoral process, recalling the impressive 69 per cent voter turnout in the last general elections.

Accompanied by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Mr Nadda earlier paid obeisance at Shri Naina Devi temple and Anandpur Sahib Gurdwara.

Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, state BJP president Satpal Satti and former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal also spoke on the occasion and congratulated Nadda on becoming national working president of the largest party in the world.