Ranchi, Jan 20 (PTI) The ruling JMM kicked off a drive in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi on Monday with an aim to rope in at least 50 lakh new members in the party from across the state.

The initiative will culminate on February 28, he said.

Also Read | 'Not Satisfied, Kolkata Police Would've Ensured Death Penalty': West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Expresses Dissatisfaction Over Life Imprisonment To Convict Sanjay Roy in RG Kar Hospital Rape-Murder Case.

“We have started our membership drive in Ranchi from Albert Ekka Chowk today. The drive will continue till February 28. Our target is to make at least 50 lakh new members,” Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya told reporters.

He claimed that the JMM found huge enthusiasm among people to join the party.

Also Read | Ravi Teja Shot Dead in US: 26-Year-Old Student From Hyderabad Killed by Unidentified Assailants in Washington DC (See Pics and Videos).

“I hope we will be able to make five lakh members only in Ranchi,” he said.

In an apparent attack on the BJP, Bhattacharya said their membership drive would not be held through ‘missed call'.

“Our members will make door-to-door visits in villages, panchayats, blocks and districts and include members in the party through individual contact,” Bhattacharya said.

He said that party workers are committed to taking the ideas of JMM supremo Shibu Soren and the work of Chief Minister Hemant Soren to every village and 'tola' (locality) of the state.

"The party's target is to fulfil the aspirations of people in the state,” Bhattacharya added.

Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched its mega membership drive in Jharkhand on December 22 last year.

The BJP has decided to make around 60 lakh members during the drive, which will continue till January 31, as the party had received over 59 lakh votes in the recently concluded assembly elections, a party official said.

Thereafter, booth-level committees will be set up between February 1 and February 10. 'Mandal' panels will be constituted from February 20 to 25 and district committees by February end, he added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)