Bollywood veteran Mithun Chakraborty joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi mega rally at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. Chakraborty arrived at the ground at around 12 noon and was welcomed by the BJP's National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargi and other state leaders. Sources said while coming to the rally, Chakraborty's car was stopped midway near Bowbazar as BJP supporters spotted the superstar sitting in his white SUV.

Former Trinamool Congress leader and former Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi, who had joined the saffron camp recently, also arrived at the mega show.

This will be PM Modi's first public rally in the state after the announcement of the dates for eight-phased Assembly polls for 294 constituencies in West Bengal. According to party sources, many folk artists have been invited to perform at the event.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya had met Chakraborty in Kolkata on Saturday and today he had confirmed that  Chakraborty will be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party at PM Modi's rally today.

Vijayvargiya had earlier said, "I have spoken with him (Mithun Chakraborty) over the telephone, he's going to come today. I will be able to make a comment only after a detailed discussion with him."

The public rally will be held a day after BJP announced its first list of 57 candidates for the polls and two days after incumbent Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced the list of 291 candidates and left three seats for its ally Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).

BJP functionaries including Kailash Vijayvargiya, national General Secretary, Mukul Roy national Vice-President, Sanjay Singh, General Secretary and Swapan Dasgupta, MP, Rajya Sabha are looking into the preparations at Brigade Parade Ground, Kolkata where PM Modi will address a public meeting today.