RJD's Mrityunjay Tiwari joins BJP in Bihar, ending 20-year association
Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday at the party's state headquarters in Patna. Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi inducted him into the party.
Tiwari's move comes one week after he resigned from the RJD, ending a nearly two-decade-long association with the opposition party. Addressing BJP workers after joining, Tiwari cited alignment with the BJP's national development goals as his primary reason for switching parties.
“I was inspired by the party’s vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India)… the BJP is working in the nation’s interest. More people are joining the BJP because they identify with its ideology and vision,” Tiwari said.
His departure is seen as a setback for the RJD in Bihar, where the party has been struggling to retain key leaders ahead of the next assembly elections. The BJP, part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the centre, has been strengthening its presence in the state.
Tiwari's political career began in student politics and he later served as a spokesperson for the RJD, frequently defending party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's legacy. His switch is the latest in a series of defections from the RJD to the BJP in recent months.
