Senior Congress leaders want to join BJP: Assam BJP MPs

On the day of BJP president Amit Shah's meeting here, the party's MPs from Assam claimed that several leaders from opposition parties, including the ruling Congress, have expressed willingness to join the saffron party and contest the Assembly polls scheduled next year.
Shah arrived in the city this morning along with other national office bearers on a day's tour to attend the 'Maha Sampark' meeting of all the BJP units of North East.
Moments before his landing, senior party leader and MP Bijoya Chakravarty told reporters at the airport that many senior leaders, mostly from the Congress, have expressed willingness to join BJP.

"Many senior Congress leaders are contacting us. They are likely to join our party by the end of this month. Apart from public and government staff, even their (Congress') own legislators are disillusioned with Congress rule in Assam," she claimed.
She, however, declined to share any name.
Echoing similar sentiments, BJP MP and National Executive Member Rajen Gohain said, "Various leaders of different parties are losing faith in their own parties and want to join our party. We welcome all of them. Their joining in BJP will strengthen the party in the forthcoming Assembly polls next year."

Shah arrived in the city to attend a close-door 'Maha Sampark' meeting with party colleagues from all the North Eastern states.

"We fulfilled our target to have 25 lakh members through missed-call system. Out of them, we have established personal contact with about one lakh persons. Shah and other senior leaders will today guide us on how to contact the rest of the members in coming days," BJP Spokesperson Bijon Mahajan said.
Mahajan also confirmed reports that the party is getting information of senior Congress leaders' willingness to join BJP but said there is "no such programme in today's meeting."
In the last couple of days, rumours have been floating in the political circle that former minister and dissident Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma was exploring options to join BJP along with about a dozen other MLAs supporting him.

However, Sarma has been denying the news.