Senior Congress leader Krishna Tirath likely to join BJP

Senior Congress Party leader and former union minister for child and women development Krishna Tirath is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this evening.

According to media reports, a disgruntled Tirath had earlier sought a Congress Party ticket for one of her children to contest in the Delhi state assembly elections, but the central leadership of the party rejected the request. Following this, according to television reports, she has had a meeting with BJP president Amit Shah, and there is every possibility of her being taken in to the Delhi unit of the ruling party.

Krishna Tirath was born on March 3, 1955 and was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India.

Till now, she was representing the North West Delhi constituency of Delhi as a member of the Indian National Congress (INC).

She began her political career as a M.L.A in Delhi and was a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly between 1984-2004. In 1998, she became the Minister for Social Welfare, SC and ST and Labour and Employment in the Sheila Dikshit-led Delhi government.

Dikshit saw her as a part of the dissident group and forced to resign from her post by dissolving her entire Cabinet.

On her resignation in 2003, she became Deputy Speaker of the Delhi Assembly.

In the 2004 elections, she beat Anita Arya of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was elected to parliament.

In 2009 elections, she was again elected from North West Delhi by defeating Meera Kanwaria of the BJP.

The Congress Party's election campaign leader Ajay Maken said that he was unaware of the development, and would get back to the media on the issue.