Nitish’s ‘withdrawal’ from active politics forced me to quit JD(U), says KC Tyagi | Lucknow News

Lucknow: Former Janta Dal (United) MP KC Tyagi on Monday said that an “apparent withdrawal” of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar from “active” state politics prompted him to “return to his roots” to quit the party and join the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), an ally of BJP, to strengthen the NDA in Uttar Pradesh.“Nitish ji seems to be withdrawing himself from Bihar politics. He has also not been keeping well for some time now. It was time for me to go back to my roots in UP and stregthen RLD from where I started my political career,” said Tyagi, while speaking to TOI, a day after joining RLD along with his son Amrish.Nitish’s recent election to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar has fuelled speculation about a possible leadership transition in the state. Last week, Tyagi, too, allowed his JD(U) membership to lapse without seeking renewal.Tyagi has been a close associate of Kumar since the formation of the Janata Dal (United) in 2003 following the merger of the Janata Dal and Samata Party. He served the JD (U) as its chief national spokesperson and national secretary general, and was later functioning as a political adviser after being removed as spokesperson in Sept 2024.Asserting that there were no ideological differences between the JD(U) and the RLD, Tyagi said he wished to work with the party led by Jayant Chaudhary, which he said has consistently championed the cause of farmers — a key social bloc underpinning the ideological frameworks of leaders such as former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, as well as socialist icons Ram Manohar Lohia and Karpoori Thakur.He further said the RLD was well positioned to take on a “resurgent” SP and Congress-led INDIA bloc, which, he claimed, had gained ground in several western Uttar Pradesh constituencies — including Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Moradabad, Sambhal and Badaun — after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.Tyagi began his political career with the Lok Dal, founded by Charan Singh in 1974. The Lok Dal later became Janata Party and subsequently Janata Dal, which was led by VP Singh. In 1989, Tyagi successfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Hapur on a Janta Dal ticket, defeating Congress’s Budha Priya Maurya by a margin of over 33,000 votes.In 1991, Tyagi contested again but lost to BJP’s Ramesh Chandra Tomar. He then contested the 1996 Lok Sabha elections on an SP ticket but again lost to Tomar. In 2004, he contested Lok Sabha elections on a JD(U) ticket from Meerut but lost to Mohammad Shahid of BSP. The JD(U) sent Tyagi to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar in 2013. He served in the upper house till July 2016.Speculation has been rife that Tyagi was seeking a Rajya Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh in the coming months. His son Amrish, too, moved to RLD after joining the BJP in 2021, months before the 2022 assembly elections. Sources said that Amrish, too, has been lobbying hard to get into state politics from Meerut.RLD national secretary Anupam Mishra maintained that RLD stands to gain from Tyagi’s vast experience, unwavering dedication, and deep commitment to public service. “Together, we are committed to moving forward with greater determination towards public welfare, empowering the farming community, and ensuring the holistic development of the state. His association will further strengthen our collective mission and reaffirm the party’s steadfast commitment to serving the people,” he said.