Kumar Vishwas may join BJP; wants to contest from Sahibabad

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas is reportedly in talks with BJP to join the party and a call will be taken in a day or two after a consensus is reached between him and the saffron party on where he would be fielded from in the ensuing Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Talks with Vishwas are in an advanced stage, BJP sources said, adding that there will not be much delay in taking a decision as the notification process for UP polls have already begun. Vishwas is likely to meet BJP Chief Amit Shah before a formal announcement is made. He may be ushered in at the BJP UP office in Lucknow.

Vishwas, who had contested the Lok Sabha elections on an AAP ticket from Amethi against Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani, is keen on contesting from Sahibabad seat in Ghaziabad district of UP.

However, with Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s son and UP BJP General Secretary Pankaj Singh also eyeing that seat, the party leaders are looking at both options.

Since Shah has assured Singh- who has been in active politics in UP for more than a decadethat his “interests will be safeguarded”, it remains to be seen from which seat he will be fielded.

Amarpal Sharma, who had won the Sahibabad seat on a BSP ticket in 2012, has joined Congress. Pankaj Singh can also be fielded from Noida or from a seat in Chandauli, sources said.

Vishwas has been hobnobbing with the BJP leaders for the past few months, fuelling speculations that he may join the saffron party. He has been sidelined in AAP.