Sisir Adhikari's two sons have already crossed over to the BJP
Veteran Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sisir Adhikari, the father of Suvendu Adhikari who has been pitted against Mamata Banerjee from Bengal's Nandigram, met BJP leader Mansukh Mandviya on Saturday, raising speculation about him attending Amit Shah's rally at Egra in Purba Medinipur on Sunday.
Mr Mandviya visited Sisir Adhikari's residence to invite the veteran politician to Amit Shah's Egra rally and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's March 24 public meeting at Kanthi in Purba Medinipur, a top BJP source said.
Confirming the invitation from BJP top brass, Sisir Adhikari's son and TMC MP Dibyendu Adhikari told reporters, "We have spoken to the BJP leadership. We will take the final decision about whether to attend or not tomorrow morning."
Dibyendu Adhikari's elder brother Suvendu Adhikari, the protege-turned political foe of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, joined BJP at a rally of Amit Shah in December last year. His other younger brother Soumendu Adhikari left TMC to join the BJP shortly after.
Septuagenarian Sisir Adhikari had earlier been removed as chairman of the Digha-Shankarpur Development Council and as president of the Trinamool's district unit.
On March 13, BJP MP from Hooghly and the party's assembly poll candidate from Chunchura Locket Chatterjee had visited the Adhikari residence and had lunch with veteran.
Both sides however did not confirm at that time whether Sisir Adhikari and his son Dibyendu Adhikari will join the BJP or attend Amit Shah and PM Modi's rallies.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)