As five states go to polls in the next few months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a day-long poll strategy session in Delhi on Sunday, reported NDTV. Bharatiya Janata Party National President JP Nadda also attended the meeting.

Modi inaugurated the meeting of the BJP national office-bearers at the New Delhi Municipal Council convention centre. At the event, he urged BJP members to follow the “nation first” motto, PTI reported. Modi told them that the BJP’s mission was to work for the development of the country. The prime minister also told BJP leaders to make people aware of the benefits of the new farm laws, according to PTI.

BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh said that discussions will be held on the new farm laws, “Aatmanirbhar Bharat [self-reliant India]” initiative, and upcoming state elections, reported PTI. Party leader Raman Singh said after the office-bearer’s meeting that the BJP had passed a resolution thanking Modi for effective handling of the Covid-19 crisis, for reforms in the farm sector, and raising farmers’ income.

Among the states going to polls in the next few months, the BJP is strongly campaigning in West Bengal. Another non-BJP ruled state, Kerala, is also going to the polls. In Tamil Nadu, the saffron party has an alliance with the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The party is also hoping for another term in Assam, and take control of the government from the Congress in Puducherry.

Modi has made multiple visits to West Bengal and Assam in the recent past. The prime minister has visited West Bengal twice in the last few weeks, and is expected to address a mega rally on March 7 at the Brigade Ground in Kolkata. Modi is also scheduled to visit Tamil Nadu on March 1.

Sunday’s meeting, which saw the attendance of the BJP’s state unit chiefs, was significant as it came in the middle of ongoing farmer protests. The farm union leaders have been trying to garner support from other parts of the country.

Raman Singh claimed the farmers’ protest was “politically influenced”. “Farmers of the country are happy with the laws,” he said, according to ANI. “The laws are being welcomed in different parts of the country. I think there is a conspiracy by Congress and Left parties to keep this agitation alive.”

He added that elections in the five states were discussed, and party leaders “expressed confidence that BJP will win the election in West Bengal and Assam”.

Both Assam and West Bengal elections are being closely watched.

At a rally in Haldia in West Bengal’s East Medinipur district on February 7, Modi criticised the ruling Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, saying the party has given rebirth to the Left rule of corruption and lawlessness. During his first visit, on the occasion of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose’s 125th birth anniversary, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had refused to speak at the event as “Jai Shri Ram” slogans were chanted when she rose to address the gathering.

On the same day, the prime minister was in Assam where he alleged that an international conspiracy has been hatched to tarnish the image of Indian tea. Modi was apparently referring to non-governmental organisation Greenpeace’s report about alleged overuse of pesticides in Indian tea industry.