JD(U) general secretary and former MP KC Tyagi. File | Photo credit: PTI
JD(U) adviser and former Rajya Sabha member KC Tyagi quit the party on Tuesday (March 17, 2026), nearly two months after she distanced herself from him, saying his remarks did not reflect her official stand on various issues.
Mr. Tyagi is likely to join another party in the near future and play an active role in Uttar Pradesh politics, informed sources said. Associated with the JD(U) since its merger with the Samata Party in 2003, he previously served as the party’s chief national spokesperson and national general secretary.
In a public statement, Mr. Tyagi recalled his long association with the party. “The JD(U) was formed on October 30, 2003 by the merger of the Samata Party and the Janata Dal. George Fernandes was the party president and I worked as its general secretary. Later, I worked with Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar as party presidents, serving as chief general secretary, chief spokesperson and political adviser,” he said.
Respect to Nitish
He also stressed that he had not formally resigned from the party, instead letting his primary membership expire without renewing it. “My commitment to the broader ideological principles regarding the interests of the downtrodden, peasants and farmers, including the deprived sections of the society, remains as firm as ever. My personal respect for Nitish Kumar, who has been my friend for almost half a century, also remains unchanged,” he said.
Mr. Tyagi said that there would be no ideological shift in his politics and that he would continue to follow the ideas of Rammanohar Lohia, Charan Singh and Karpoori Thakur.
Although he remained political adviser to the JD(U), Mr. Tyagi was left with a limited role after he was removed from the post of national spokesperson more than a year ago. The party has denied his statements on several occasions and recently took strong exception to his unilateral demand that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar be awarded the Bharat Ratna.
Mr. Tyagi is expected to announce his next political move at a meeting to be held in New Delhi on March 22.
Published – 17 March 2026 22:17 IST
