Rebel Bharatiya Janata Party Shatrughan Sinha on Thursday confirmed that he will join the Congress soon, adding that he will share the “positive news” during Navratri next month. The announcement came hours after he met Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. Several reports had suggested that he would join the party on Thursday.

Congress’ Bihar in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil said Sinha will formally join the party on April 6. Navratri will be celebrated between April 6 and April 14.

Sinha, a two-term BJP MP from Bihar’s Patna Sahib, has often been critical of his party and even made appearances at public functions organised by Opposition leaders. On March 23, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance named Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad as the candidate from Patna Sahib constituency. The same day, Sinha reacted by saying he is “capable of paying back”.

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Soon after meeting Gandhi, Sinha told reporters that he will join the Congress soon. “We will give you a positive news during Navaratri,” he said, according to ANI. On being asked if he will contest from Patna Sahib after joining Congress, he said, “Whatever the situation, location will be the same.”

Gohil told reporters that Sinha will work as the party’s star leader and star campaigner.

The seven-phased Lok Sabha elections will be held between April 11 and May 19, with the votes being counted on May 23. Bihar, which has 40 parliamentary constituencies, will vote in all seven phases on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19.

Earlier this week, Sinha had claimed Gandhi’s promise of an income support scheme had rattled BJP’s members. He described the announcement as a “masterstroke by the master of situation”. “Some of our prominent people had to rush for a press conference, calling the whole declaration/ announcement ‘chhal kapat’ [bluff],” Sinha had tweeted.