BJP highlights Amit Shah's achievements in 18-month first term

NEWD ELHI: BJP chief Amit Shah travelled an average 495 km per day and visited 32 states and Union territories in his 18-month first term in his bid to strengthen the organisation, the party said today as he started his second term at the helm.

Under Shah, the party became the world's "largest political party" as its membership grew from less than 3 crore to more than 11 crore and won in four of the six states where it fought the assembly elections.

Though he has faced flak for the crushing defeats the party suffered in Delhi and Bihar, BJP said that it was not in power in any of the six states and it succeeded in having its chief ministers in Maharashtra and Haryana for the first time.

"BJP, which had failed to cross double digits in Haryana, won majority on its own and formed its first government in the state. The party registered its best electoral performance in Jammu and Kashmir. It may not have won in Delhi and Bihar but it retained its vote share in the capital city and significantly increased the same in Bihar," it said in a statement.

"In the last 18 months, Shah travelled an average of more than 495 km every single day and covered 2,65,600 km across the length and breadth of the country," it said.

After taking charge in August 2014, he got down to the task of establishing contact with party leaders and workers and the first and third Mondays of the month were designated for his 'Jan-Samwad' (dialouge with public) where both workers and leaders could meet him without appointment.
51-year-old Shah also started direct contact with party leaders at district level to listen to their issues, boost their morale and solve their problems. "He participated in over 16 such public interactions where he met more than 6,000 people."

Under his tenure, training camps were held for workers for the first time on a grand scale at national, state, district and block levels, the party said, noting that while earlier only 3500 workers on an average participated in these camps annually, more than 725000 workers joined the camps in 2015 due to his "perseverance".

The statement said that as part of measures to ensure best practices in the party, he "discouraged" use of private planes for travel, other than during elections and also followed it.

"He encouraged party officials and workers to stay in state government guest houses and not in expensive hotels during their travel. He set an example by observing the same," it said.

He held as many as 176 rallies.

The membership drive, which was driven by optimum use of information technology, ensured "complete transparency" and fake membership was weeded out.

"During the membership drive, special attention was paid to seven states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal where BJP has been traditionally weak. The response to membership drive from these states was encouraging, which indicates towards party's bright future," it said.