Sister's death makes S.M. Krishna postpone move to join BJP

Bengaluru: There is no uncertainty about former External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna’s plan to join the BJP and the move has only been postponed following his younger sister’s death here on Tuesday night, a party leader said on Wednesday.

“Though Krishna flew to Delhi on Tuesday to meet our party President Amit Shah on Wednesday and join the party this week, he rushed back after coming to know of his sister Sunitha’s death,” the Bharatiya Janata Party official said.

The 84-year-old former Chief Minister, who quit the Congress on January 29, also could not meet Shah in Delhi, as the latter was on way to Imphal to attend the swearing-in of the BJP-led coalition government in Manipur on Wednesday.

“There is no uncertainty about Krishna joining the BJP. It has been put off due to bereavement in his family and unavoidable circumstances, as the party leaders are busy with the formation of the governments in Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand,” asserted the official on the condition of anonymity.

After joining the BJP formally, Krishna was to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi along with the party’s state unit President B.S. Yeddyurappa and Union Ministers from the state — D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Anantha Kumar.

“We will inform the media when will Krishna join the BJP after we finalise the date in consultation with him and our national leaders in Delhi,” added the official.

Since leaving the Congress after nearly five decades of association after he was “sidelined by its leadership”, Krishna was bidding time to join the BJP but was told to wait, as Shah and Modi were busy with the assembly elections in the five states, especially Uttar Pradesh, and their results.

Yeddyurappa invited Krishna to join the party at the latter’s house here on March 6.

With the BJP securing thumping majority in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand and forming governments in Goa and Manipur, Krishna thought it was the right time to join the BJP and strengthen the party in Karnataka, where the assembly elections are due in April 2018.