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Updated: Jun 30, 2019 17:10 IST

BJP president Amit Shah is meeting top BJP leaders from West Bengal today to discuss political strategy to take on Mamata Banerjee’s government. The BJP meeting comes in the backdrop of an intense political turf war with the ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal, where at least 18 lives have been lost in political violence since Lok Sabha poll results were declared.

The meeting is likely to closely look at the current churning in Bengal politics reflected recently in Mamata’s appeal, asking the Left and the Congress to form a broad alliance with her party on national issues, to stop BJP’s rise in the state.

Several TMC MLAs and councilors have switched camp to the BJP after LS polls resulting in the ruling party losing control of a few municipalities.

Pressure on Mamata Banerjee’s government has not eased since the saffron party ended up with 18 of Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats. BJP boss Amit Shah had said that the stunning performance was proof that the party was well on its way to win the next assembly election and form the government in 2021.

BJP’s 40.25% of Lok Sabha vote share is only 3% less than Trinamool Congress’ 43.28% and the saffron party plans to bridge the gap further with a special nationwide membership drive that will start with the neighbouring state of Jharkhand on July 6.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, national executive member Mukul Roy along with at least seven other Bengal BJP leaders are attending the Sunday meet, say sources.

“We are drawing strategies to strengthen the party in those states where the BJP does not have a strong political presence. The focus for the membership drive will be in the states like Kerela, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Kashmir Valley, West Bengal, Odisha and others,” party’s national vice president Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said a few days ago at the BJP’s headquarters in Ranchi.

Mamata, even as her government battles upheaval over “cut-money” and allegations of minority appeasement has not relented in her attacks on the BJP. She had hit out at the saffron party on June 25, claiming the country has been going through a “super emergency” for the past five years.

BJP had hit back immediately saying that it was Mamata’s rule that was akin to Emergency and the BJP will fight it tooth and nail.