'More Oppn leaders willing to join BJP due to PM Modi's popularity': Baijayant Panda

Two days after Trinamool Congress (TMC) heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, along with several other leaders across party lines, joined the BJP in West Bengal, its national vice-president Baijayant Panda on Monday claimed that more Opposition leaders are willing to join them in the state.

"We are in touch with many leaders who want to join us. Opposition party members are contacting us on a daily basis. Because of the undeniable popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is exceptional, this is a phenomenon all over the country. Recently you have seen, when Home Minster Amit Shah was in the state, members of other parties, especially the TMC, joined BJP in large numbers," Panda said. 

Stating that the people of West Bengal are tired of the violence in the state that is carried out by the TMC government, the BJP leader said, "They want to go back to the golden old days and that can only be possible with the development agenda of the BJP under the leadership of PM Modi."

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'Amit Shah will soon rally in Assam'

Citing Assam, Baijayant Panda said there are several elected representatives at the district level who have joined the saffron party in the last few weeks.

"Shah will soon conduct a rally in Assam. We have many events like the state executive meeting of the party, unveiling of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's statue on his birth anniversary, and so on," he said.

"Even though we are in a very comfortable position in Assam as we recently won the Bodoland Territorial Council elections, and Tiwa Autonomous Council elections where we swept 33 out 36 seats, we do not take things lightly," he said.

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Speaking on the contentious farm laws that have stirred protests in the national capital, Panda urged the farmers and the citizens to read and think about the proposal sent by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

"The AAP, Congress, and many others are opposing the farm laws because they want to criticize PM Modi. The Congress, which started drafting the farm laws when it was in government, today is opposing them. It shows the hypocrisy of the party," he said. He noted that many national surveys reported by respected channels show that majority of people have voiced support of these laws.

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(With inputs from agency)