Shivraj Singh Chouhan to renew party membership from Odisha

Soon after the results of the 2019 elections to Lok Sabha and the Assembly were announced, the Odisha unit of BJP embarked on a membership drive. The party has set a target to enrol 50 lakh new members in the state by August end.

The BJP’s moves indicate that it continues to view Odisha as important in its expansion plans. Recently, veteran Odisha BJP leader and old Jana Sangh hand Biswabhushan Harichandan was appointed Governor of Andhra Pradesh.

The BJP’s fortunes have continued to be on the upswing in Odisha. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s vote-share shot up from 21.5 per cent in 2014 to 38.4 per cent, while its share in Assembly polls went up from 18 per cent to 32.5 per cent.

The party won 8 LS seats and 23 Assembly seats, displacing Congress as the principal opposition party.