Trinamool Congress rebel Suvendu Adhikari and a number of others joined the BJP in presence of Amit Shah at a mega rally in West Bengal's Midnapore today. "The Tsunami I am seeing in Bengal today, I must say that this is something that Mamata Banerjee would not have thought this would happen. By the time the elections come, the entire scene in Bengal would change. Didi watch out!," said Mr Shah, who is on a two-day visit to the state to take stock of his party's affairs ahead of the Assembly elections that are dur in four months.
Besides Mr Adhikari, nearly 50 former Trinamool, Congress and Left front leaders joined BJP in Mr Shah's presence.
Mr Shah, who arrived late on Friday, began his day offering prayers to Swami Vivekananda, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, and Sarada Devi at the Ramakrishna Ashram in Kolkata around 10.30 in the morning. "This the place where Vivekananda Ji was born. Vivekananda Ji connected modernity and spirituality. I pray that we are able to walk on the path he showed us," Amit Shah said after paying tribute to Swami Vivekanand at Ramakrishna Ashram in Kolkata. He will also address a public rally at Midnapore on Saturday where a number of Trinamool Congress leaders are likely to join the BJP. Mr Shah's trip to Bengal has been preceded by a series of resignations from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress.
The Union Home Minister, the party's key strategist for Bengal, has set a target of 200 of the state's 294 seats for the assembly polls.