"At Least 10 Top BJP Leaders In Queue To Join Trinamool": Abhishek Banerjee

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that 10 top BJP leaders are keen on switching over to his party, prompting an immediate denial by the saffron party.

While conducting a road show in a Murshidabad Lok Sabha constituency, Mr Banerjee said the party will open its doors at the right moment and the "BJP will be wiped out of the state." 

"The BJP is trying to get into the game of breaking parties, but they can't win in it. They poached two of our MPs, and we replied by taking two of their MPs, Arjun Singh and Babul Supriyo. Recently, by using Enforcement Directorate raids, they inducted Tapas Ray. At least 10 top leaders of the BJP are in the queue to join the Trinamool," he said.

Reacting to Mr Banerjee's claim, BJP Spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said after the elections are over, "Trinamool will disintegrate like a pack of cards." 

"These are nothing but political rhetoric out of frustration of losing in West Bengal. Once the Lok Sabha polls are over, the Trinamool will disintegrate like a pack of cards," he said.

Former Union minister Babul Supriyo, party MP Arjun Singh and eight legislators, including national vice-president Mukul Roy, have switched to the Trinamool Congress since the 2021 assembly polls.

The Trinamool Congress came to power for the third consecutive term in the state in 2021 by winning 213 of the 292 assembly seats, while the BJP bagged 77. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)