Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said that the BJP is the only national party that is not “owned” by any family but by its workers.

Speaking at a party event, Fadnavis called BJP a democratic organisation. There are more than 2,300 registered parties in the country but those that are national parties can be counted on fingertips, he said.

There are only two parties – the BJP and the Communist Party of India – that are not owned by any family, he said.

Almost all of the 2,300 parties are privately owned, Fadnavis said.

“The Communist Party of India is no longer a national party. But the BJP is the only national party that is owned by people and party workers. No leader owns the party and it has its own constitution,” Fadnavis said. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is a national party.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rise from humble beginnings, Fadnavis said the BJP is the only party where a boy who once sold tea becomes the CM (of Gujarat) and then the PM.

He said Modi had no relative in politics and no godfather, but could still reach the top position.

Narrating his own political journey, Fadnavis said he started at the booth level, became ward president and went on to become the CM thrice. “This is possible only in the BJP. This is a party of people and party workers,” he added.

He also launched the party’s special membership drive in Nagpur. Fadnavis said BJP has enrolled 11 crore members that have been verified and it has become the world's largest political party.

The BJP has set the target of enrolling 1.5 crore members from Maharashtra.

Talking to reporters later, Fadnavis said the special membership drive is being held at 1 lakh booths across the state with an aim of enrolling 25 lakh members on Sunday.