TRS now shifts the focus to membership drive

Hyderabad, Feb 04: After striking achievement in the Assembly and panchayat raj elections, the TRS has decided to focus on a party membership drive.

In its last membership drive two years ago, the TRS created a record by raising the number to 43 lakh and whose target is now 50 lakh members.

The membership drive should be completed by April 2019, when political parties will get busy with the general election. But it’s not clear whether the enrolment will be done by end March or after the general election.

The TRS membership drive is held every two years. The party has two types of members — active and ordinary. Payment of 100 entitles one to be an active member, while an ordinary member pays 20.

Active members are eligible to contest in any election if the party leadership allots them tickets. Ordinary members do not have this privilege. The TRS has a group insurance scheme for its members. Irrespective of whether one is an active or ordinary member, all members will be covered for Rs 2 lakh each.

TRS sources said that in the previous membership drive party leaders and workers had taken 73 lakh membership books and returned 64 lakh books. But the group insurance facility was provided to 43 lakh workers. A senior leader of the TRS said that they have taken the membership figures from those who got group insurance as that is the official figure.

The TRS leadership is confident of enrolling many more members this time. After winning two important elections, Assembly and panchayat, the party cadre is in a exuberant mood and believes that it will not be a problem to enrol 50 lakh members, said a TRS leader.