S.M. Krishna joining BJP not a loss for party: Congress

Close on the heels of Congress leader S.M. Krishna joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the grand old party said his ouster from the party was not loss for them.

"He is a good administrator and he did good work in his regime, but him joining the BJP is not loss for the Congress. We lost a good leader, but we are not losing anything," Congress leader N.A. Harris told ANI.

Criticising Krishna's decision, another Congress leader Meem Afzal said a person of his age should not expect all his wishes be fulfilled.

"This is not surprising for us as he had decided this long before. He has spent so many years with the Congress and if he wants that the Congress guarantees him chief minister post at this age, then I think it is not necessary that all the wishes of a person get fulfilled in politics. Let's see what post the BJP gives him," Afzal told ANI.

Krishna yesterday joined the BJP and stated that he would like to rededicate himself to the cause of the nation under the saffron party's banner.

"I am deeply humbled that I am joining a political set-up which has given a great glory to the country and I would like to rededicate myself to the cause of the nation under the banner of the Bharatiya Janata Party," Krishna told the media here.

Krishna had put off his plan last week after the death of his sister.

84-year-old Krishna had announced his resignation from the Congress on January 29, saying the party was in a "state of confusion" on whether it needed mass leaders or not.

Krishna, who was the chief minister Karnataka from 1999 to 2004, had returned to state politics after stepping down as then External Affairs Minister in 2012.

He has also served as the Governor of Maharashtra.