Nitish Kumar's party leader resigns as spokesperson over ‘personal reasons’

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has appointed Rajiv Ranjan Prasad as his party’s new spokesperson after veteran leader KC Tyagi stepped down from the post over ‘personal reasons’, NDTV reported.

It is reported that the development comes after Tyagi's statements on issues including Waqf amendment Bill irked the BJP leadership with JDU having left with the option of rescuing the alliance.

The JDU has said in a statement that the party’s national president and chief minister Nitish Kumar has appointed Rajiv Ranjan Prasad as the National Spokesperson after K.C. Tyagi resigned from the post ‘due to personal reason.’

Writing to Nitish Kumar on Saturday, as reported by news agency ANI, Tyagi said that he had requested earlier to be relieved of organizational responsibility, adding ‘I am not able to do justice to the post as spokesperson due to other work’.

JDU is one of the key allies of the BJP-led NDA that props up the third Narendra Modi government after the saffron party fell short of majority.

Tyagi's remarks on Waqf amendment Bill, Uniform Civil Code and the war in Gaza have given headache to JDU as it is part of the NDA.

This comes as the BJP reportedly earlier sought its allies to ensure coordination in the ruling NDA bloc.

Tyagi included the MPs who recently issued a statement against Israel saying that they ‘unequivocally’ condemn the ‘ongoing Zionist aggression and the heinous genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel’.

NDTV reported citing JDU sources that Tyagi should have consulted the party leadership before issuing statements that "created confusion and unnecessary friction" with the BJP.