Janata Dal (United) leader and former Rajya Sabha MP KC Tyagi on Tuesday announced his decision to quit the party, ANI reported.
The development comes a day after JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was elected to the Rajya Sabha from the state. Kumar, who became chief minister for the 10th time in November, is expected to step down after his election to the Upper House.
In a statement on Tuesday, Tyagi said that his membership of the JD(U) had ended, but he would not renew it.
“My commitment to the broader ideological points concerning the interests of the downtrodden, peasants and agriculturalists, including the deprived sections of society, remains as firm as ever,” he said.
The former MP also told The Indian Express that he has immense respect for Kumar, with “whom I have shared socialist space for over 50 years”.
He added: “Our relation with Nitishji is forever. It is just that I am searching for new political ground in Uttar Pradesh under the banner of another political party.”
The former MP, in his statement, noted that the JD(U) had come into existence on October 30, 2003, with the merger of the Samata Party and the Janata Dal, ANI reported.
“George Fernandes was the president, and I, as the secretary general of the party, worked with him,” he said. “I worked with Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar as my party president, serving as chief general secretary, chief spokesman and political advisor of the party.”
Tyagi added that he would convene a meeting on March 22 in New Delhi to “discuss the political situation” of the country, the news agency reported. “My further course of action will be decided soon in consultation with all required people,” he said.
Tyagi had previously served as the chief national spokesperson and national secretary general of the JD(U). He had been serving as a political adviser to the party after he was removed as its national spokesperson in September 2024.
The JD(U) has previously distanced itself from several statements made by the former MP, including on the Uniform Civil Code and Israel’s war on Gaza. The party had also recently taken serious exception to his demand for a Bharat Ratna for Kumar, The Indian Express reported.
The JD(U) is among the key allies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre and is part of the National Democratic Alliance government.
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