The BJP's membership drive is yet to gain the desired momentum with the party getting around 8.5 lakh members a month after the programme was launched in November first week.

The eight-lakh members include new as well as old members who renewed their membership. The party has set a target of having 50 lakh members within six months.

According to the party sources, there are around 38 lakh existing BJP members in the state. They have to renew their membership every five years.

The BJP's membership drive aims at renewing the old memberships besides making new members.

A source in the party claimed that the main hiccup in making new members and renewing the membership of the existing members was the method of using toll free number. Old as well as new members have to dial the toll free number '18002662020' and complete the formalities to get membership. Earlier, people were given BJP membership through receipt.

Sanjeev Chaurasia, the co-ordinator of the BJP's membership drive in Bihar, said: 'Only one month has passed and we are confident that many people will become BJP members in the coming months.'?

The BJP leader said the party would conduct membership drives in blocks and districts. Also, various Manch Morcha (wings of the party) would be asked to start membership drive. There would be special emphasis on minority morcha (minority cell), and Extremely Backward Class and Backward Class cell, added Chaurasia.

The state BJP president, Mangal Pandey, has also asked the party cadres to take up membership drive on a priority basis. 'The BJP has set a target of making 25,000 members in every Assembly segment. The party wants to strengthen its base at grassroots through the membership drive, but special attention would be paid to youths and people belonging to the marginalised sections of the society, especially Mahadalits and Dalits,' added Pandey. The party has set sights on 100 primary members in 60,000 booths.

The source said strengthening its support base at booth-level would help the party in the Assembly elections. As the BJP aims to target youths and people from the weaker sections of society, party cadres will reach out to different tolas, slums and villages housing Dalits and Mahadalits.

Enthused by the party's performance in the general election and in the Haryana and Maharasthra Assembly polls, the BJP decided to launch the six-month-long membership drive all over the country from November 1 with special focus on the states going to the polls next year. Bihar is one among them.