In Gujarat, BJP, World's Biggest Party, Revs Up PM Modi Campaign

Helped by an army of workers, the BJP is attempting to reach every corner of Gujarat and turn every uncertain voter.

On a recent Friday morning, Dhansukh Patel -- volunteer, loyal foot soldier, and long-time member of Bharatiya Janata Party -- sat on the verandah of his home deep in discussion with aides on strategies to win more voters to the party.

As Gujarat holds state elections, Mr Patel is on a mission to ensure that most of the 1,400 people in his village of Umber vote for the BJP. Aided by a database with details about local voters collected over the years, his team of eleven people has been knocking on doors, sending WhatsApp messages, and helping families sign up for government welfare programs that provide them with free rice and medical assistance.

Gujarat is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home turf. It's the state where he was Chief Minister for more than a decade and political analysts say a loss in the state is unlikely. Even so, the party machinery has been in overdrive for months. Helped by an army of workers like Mr Patel -- who are essentially helping it walk the last mile -- the party is attempting to reach every corner of the state and turn every uncertain voter.

Yet the election machinery that the BJP has shifted into gear goes well beyond the polls in Gujarat. PM Modi wants to expand his support base and sustain momentum for the national elections in 2024 when he is expected to again lead the party for a third consecutive term. It's a mammoth effort run by foot soldiers like Mr Patel, showing how the BJP morphed from a fringe group into the world's largest party with more than 180 million members, a number that's about double the reported membership of China's Communist Party.