AAP to send teams to states to boost membership

People getting themselves enrolled duringAam Aadmi Party's free membership drive in Hyderabad on January 27, 2014. (PTI photo)

NEW DELHI: Concerned with the low response in states like J&K, West Bengal and the south, Aam Aadmi Party plans to send "search teams" to boost membership numbers. Most of these states have fewer than a lakh members which is one-tenth that of states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where the party has made over 10 lakh members.

"We will be sending out teams to all states to strengthen our party structures. In states where the response has been low, we will have to see what can be done to increase membership numbers," AAP national executive member Pankaj Gupta said.

Overall, the party has made 98 lakh members till now. "Till Jan 26, a total of 98 lakh people joined the party from all over the country," Gopal Rai, senior AAP leader, said. He said the membership drive will continue till the Lok Sabha elections.

About 76 lakh people have joined the party through the form registration service, seven lakh people through the online service, five lakh through SMS and 10 lakh by "missed calls". UP with over 18 lakh members and Bihar with over 11 lakh members top the list followed by Delhi and Haryana that have over 8 lakh members. This is in sharp contrast to states like Andhra Pradesh, J&K and West Bengal that have below 30,000 members.

AAP had launched a free membership drive early this month, targeting enrolment of one crore members by January 26. Rai said, 'There was an impression we got only middle-class votes. But the recent membership drive received good response in rural areas also. The perception that we are an urban phenomenon has been proved incorrect, we are receiving support from across the country."

The party has collected about Rs 7 crore since the Delhi elections. "Compared to pre-Delhi polls, we have been receiving 1.5 times more contributions from supporters," Gupta said, dismissing suggestions that there was a drop in collections. He said collections did vary depending on the funding campaigns run in various parts of the country and the world.

source - TOI