K C Tyagi resigns as JD(U) spokesperson

New Delhi: Janata Dal (United) spokesperson K C Tyagi, whose stand on various issues often ran contradictory to that of his party’s ally BJP, has resigned.

The JD(U) said in a statement on Sunday that its president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has appointed Rajiv Ranjan Prasad as its national spokesperson.

It attributed Tyagi’s resignation to “personal reasons”.

In his letter to Kumar, the former MP and socialist leader said he has been unable to do justice as a spokesperson due to his involvement in other works.

He said he had made the request earlier as well.

Tyagi, party leaders said, will continue in his another role as “political advisor”.

Prasad, Tyagi’s replacement, noted that the senior leader resigned due to personal reasons and made no comments that reflected any hurt, as he rejected suggestions of his difference with the party.

It is believed that frequent comments of Tyagi, who is based in Delhi and enjoys an unlikely high profile in the national media for a regional party leader due to his experience and articulation, on central government’s policies were seen by many within his party as unhelpful to the BJP-JD(U) ties.

Be it on the Uniform Civil Code, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, lateral entry to high-level Central government jobs or even the Palestine issue among a number of other matters, his articulation of the JD(U)’s stand different from the BJP created ripples and left the saffron party less than amused.

He was the only member of the ruling National Democratic Alliance in the August 25 meeting, which included several opposition party members, with Mohammad Makram Balawi, Secretary General of the League of Parliamentarians.

Israel was accused of “genocide” on Palestinians and the Indian government was urged to stop the sale of arms to the country by the participants in a joint statement.

The JD(U) retained him as spokesperson and political advisor in the party on August 23 when the party distributed organisation work among its leaders.

Though his views often, though not always, echoed the party’s ideological position, a section of the JD(U) was uncomfortable with Tyagi’s readiness to air his opinions when its senior leaders mostly played it safe.

His seniority meant that few leaders barring Nitish Kumar, who has of late been relying more on other party colleagues to helm organisational matters, could direct his stand.

With two senior JD(U) leaders — Union minister Lalan Singh and its parliamentary party leader Sanjay Jha — representing the party in national politics, sources said there is a view that both leaders should be left to shape the ties with the BJP without frequent public interjections of Tyagi.

It may be noted that the BJP has been reaching out to allies to maintain coordination and harmony in the ruling National Democratic Alliance in its bid to quell reports of differences in the bloc.