Bengaluru : Stepping up efforts to woo the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna to the Bharatiya Janata Party fold, BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa met Mr. Krishna at the latter’s residence and formally invited him to join the party on Monday.

While the 84-year old Mr. Krishna has not revealed his future plans, the BJP has made overtures to him ever since he severed his five-decade-old association with the Congress on January 28.

Mr. Yeddyurappa had even publicly declared that “it was only a matter of time” before Mr. Krishna joined the BJP. Interestingly, Mr. Krishna had neither categorically denied nor confirmed any such plan.

After meeting the veteran leader at his Sadashivnagar residence here in Bengaluru, Mr. Yeddyurappa told reporters that he was confident that Mr. Krishna would join the BJP soon.

Mr. Krishna had quit the Congress after he was upset over the manner in which he had been allegedly sidelined by the party central leadership.

Sources in the BJP said that the veteran leader had shown interest in meeting the party’s central leaders. The leadership is expected to hold consultations with him some time after March 15 when the elections to the U.P. Assembly would be completed, they added.

Considering the stature of Mr. Krishna, who has also served as External Affairs Minister and his influence among the dominant Vokkaliga community as well as urban voters, any talks related to his possible entry into the BJP would be held mainly with the central leaders, sources noted.

The BJP has been traditionally weak in Mandya region, where Mr. Krishna hails from, and hopes his entry could bolster its chances ahead of the Assembly election in 2018. It is also keen to woo the octogenarian as such a move would be a major embarrassment for the Congress.

BJP’s Deputy Leader in the Assembly R. Ashok, who was present during the meeting between Mr. Yeddyurappa and Mr. Krishna, claimed that Mr. Krishna was not happy with the performance of the Siddaramaiah government.

When contacted, Mr. Krishna’s office did not comment on the meeting.