Amit Shah calls for key BJP meet to discuss strategy for upcoming West Bengal elections

Union Home Minister and former BJP President Amit Shah will chair a crucial party meeting in Delhi to discuss the strategy ahead for West Bengal assembly elections. Newly inducted leaders - Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee who jumped ship from TMC to BJP will be a part of the meeting. Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari arrived in Delhi on Tuesday to participate in the core leaders' meeting.

Rajib Banerjee on Sunday claimed that there are many leaders from TMC who want to join BJP while alleging that the TMC-led government is stopping people in the state to join the BJP by harassing them using police. Rajib Banerjee along with TMC's Baishali Dalmiya, Prabir Ghoshal and Rathin Chakraborti came to Delhi on Saturday along with BJP's Mukul Roy, and Kailash Vijayvargiya to join the BJP.

READ | Central Govt Failed To Honour Promises, Did Nothing For People Of North Bengal: Mamata

TMC leaders switch allegiance to BJP

The Mamata Banerjee-led party recently witnessed the exit of its heavyweight leader Suvendu Adhikari along with six MLAs, one MP, and 16 other grassroots leaders, who joined BJP and have now been fielded in the saffron party's political campaign. Later, Adhikari's two brothers too joined BJP, while his father was removed from his post in TMC. Also as Sports Minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla has 'retired' from politics, Rajib Banerjee joined BJP in the last week along with other TMC leaders.

READ | Two-time MLA Dipak Haldar Resigns From TMC Ahead Of West Bengal Polls

Situation ahead of assembly elections

The situation in the run-up to West Bengal election gets intense by the day with political mudslinging, violence and claims of defeating each other by heavy margins. West Bengal, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee holds fort with 222 seats, will go to polls in April-May 2021. The BJP has exuded confidence that it will cross the 200 seat mark, however, TMC via its poll strategist Prashant Kishore has contended that BJP will not cross double digits.

Mamata Banerjee and her ex confidante Suvendu Adhikari, who switched allegiance to BJP, are most likely to battle it out for Nandigram constituency. While Mamata Banerjee announced to contest the elections from Nandigram which is a stronghold of Suvendu Adhikari, the latter has vowed to defeat her with at least 50,000 votes or else he will quit politics. Adhikari has gone to say on record that he has taken the responsibility of defeating Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram regardless of who contests the constituency from BJP.

READ | Rajib Banerjee Gets Z Category Security In Bengal After Switching Over To BJP From TMC

READ | Smriti Irani Affirms 'Farmers In West Bengal Hopeful Of Development Support PM Modi'