According to sources, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has already ratified Dhawan's joining and a letter to this effect has been signed.

Sources add that Dhawan will join along with his party - the Samajwadi Janata Party, as his party workers are also reaching Delhi at the merger. A formal announcement of SJP's merger in Congress would, however, be made at Chandigarh soon, when Dhawan's wife, a municipal councillor, will also formally join the Congress strengthening the party in the local MC.

Sources add that though Dhawan and his men are joining unconditionally at this juncture, he is likely to be given an important role in the party during the forthcoming elections. Congress sources indicate that he may be made even the president of the party here, as other viable contenders for the post are reluctant to join as president.

Dhawan's joining the Congress in the wake of elections is significant too, as he has maintained a vote bank of about 40,000 votes in the city even after his repeated defeats in the last three parliamentary polls.

Dhawan, a protege of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, has been camping in a posh Delhi hotel for the past few weeks. He has already met senior Congress leaders.

He is accompanied by SJP local president Devinder Singh Babla and some local Congress leaders, including former Chandigarh Youth Congress president Vijaypal Singh Dimpy.