'BJP not election machine, poll victories byproduct of party workers' courage': PM Modi at membership event

PM Modi addresses BJP workers

"Another round of 'Sadasyata Abhiyan' is beginning today. From Bharatiya Jana Sangh till now, we have made all possible efforts to being a new political culture in the country. The organisation or political party through which people gives power, that unit, that organisation, that party... if it doesn't follow democratic values, if internal democracy doesn't live in it, then situation arises which is faced by several other political parties today," PM Modi said while addressing the party workers.

The Prime Minister remembered several workers of the party and said, "Several generations have invested their lives into this party, then today the party has made its place in the hearts of the people."

He recalled his early days into the party and said that he painted Lotus on the walls, but always had faith that Lotus will bloom in people's hearts.

"When I was not in politics, during the time of Jan Sangh, enthusiastic workers used to paint lamps on walls, and many leaders of other political parties would mockingly say in their speeches that painting lamps on walls would not lead to power. We are the people who painted lotuses on walls with devotion because we believed that the lotus painted on walls would eventually be painted on hearts as well," he said.

Membership an expansion of family: PM Modi

The Prime Minister said that for the BJP, the membership drive is the expansion of the family. He also pitched an idea for the maximum participation of women in elections.

"This very membership drive isn't just a ritual. It's an expansion of our family...It isn't a game of numbers. It doesn't matter the numbers we achieve. This membership drive is an ideological and emotional movement," he said.

"During this membership drive, the organisational structure... during the same period, 33%  reservation would have been implemented in the state Assemblies and Lok Sabha.  If this 33% reservation for women is going to come in this period, then I will include all those people in my membership campaign, who can make maximum number of women victorious and make them MLAs and MPs" he said.

BJP not election machine, winning election byproduct of my party workers' efforts: PM Modi

The Prime Minister called "election machine" phrase for the BJP as an insult to the party and said that winning election is the byproduct of his party workers' efforts.

"We are not just an election machine. We are the nourishment that nurtures the dreams of our fellow citizens. We are the nourishment that immerses itself in the journey of turning the nation's dreams into resolutions and those resolutions into achievements, dedicating ourselves completely to this cause. Some people say BJP is an election machine. There can be no bigger insult to the BJP than this. Winning elections is the byproduct of my party workers' efforts and courage," he said.