"We will apply for entry to Guinness Book...": BJP leader mocks Congress over exits in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], March 21 : Senior BJP leader and the party's state convener of New Joining Group, Narottam Mishra, on Thursday said Madhya Pradesh can enter the Guinness Book of World Rercords for the sheer number of switchovers from the Congress to the ruling party in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to media persons after several Congress leaders from the Vindhya region joined the BJP at state party office in Bhopal on Thursday, Mishra said, "There is almost stampede-like situation in the Congress (mocking reference to the stream of exits from the Congress). Till now, over 14,700 Congress members, including former Union Ministers, former state ministers, MPs, MLAs, former legislators, municipal chairman, district panchayat members, and sarpanches have switched sides and joined the BJP. Such is the situation in the Congress that they are struggling to find candidates to contest the Lok Sabha polls."
Mishra said his party would formally register to be enlisted in the Guinness Book for the number of Congress leaders and members that it has taken into its fold.
"Madhya Pradesh is, perhaps, the only state that seen the most switchovers from the Congress to the BJP. We will officially apply for entry into the Guinness Book of World Records," the former state minister added.
On persisting speculations around former Congress state chief and chief minister Kamal Nath joining the BJP, Mishra said they would think about it after the Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, hitting back at Mishra over his remarks, Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez said the BJP leader was spreading falsehoods, as a stampede-like situation is in the BJP with sitting MPs deserting the party and supporting the Congress.
"Narottam Mishra is only spreading falsehoods. There isn't a grain of truth in what he is saying. There is, in fact, a stampede in the BJP as sitting MPs are leaving them and supporting the Congress. If we talk about Madhya Pradesh, the BJP can definitely make the Guinness Book of World Records in 'lying' as the workers who they claim have joined the BJP in their thousands are no more than daily wage workers, who gather at party rallies after being paid Rs 400-500 (each). They are merely getting such people to join the BJP, claiming to have drawn thousands of workers to their side," Hafeez said.
"If there was any truth to their claims, the BJP would have published a list of such leaders of members. But nothing like that has happened so far. These are just lies to attract headlines. The truth is that the ground is shifting from under their feet," the Congress leader added.