Former External Affairs Minister and former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna is all set to join the BJP, said a party official. “Krishna will join our party in New Delhi on March 15 or 16 after meeting party’s national President Amit Shah. He will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi later,” a BJP official said.

“Krishna will leave for Delhi on Tuesday and meet Shah on Wednesday. He will join the same day (March 15). If not on that day, then he will join on March 16 at 11:20 a.m.,” the official said.

“As the budget session of Parliament will resume from Tuesday, I will also be in Delhi to personally welcome Krishna into the party fold,” said the former BJP Chief Minister of the state. Union Ministers from Karnataka D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Anantha Kumar will also be present on the occasion.

“With the BJP securing thumping majority in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand and set to form governments in Goa and Manipur, Krishna thought it is the right time to join the BJP and strengthen the party in Karnataka, where assembly election is due in April 2018,” added the official.

Krishna, 84, has resigned from the Congress on January 29 after 46 years of association with the grand old party for “being sidelined by its leadership”.

By Premji