After 50 years with Congress, former chief minister of UP Narayan Dutt Tiwari joins BJP

DEHRADUN: Former Uttarakhand and UP chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari along with his son

Rohit Shekhar

joined the BJP in the presence of party chief Amit Shah at his Delhi residence on Wednesday. The veteran politician’s move to BJP from the Congress which he had first joined in 1963, is believed to have been triggered by his son’s desire to be fielded in Uttarakhand from a seat of his choice.

Sources said Rohit is likely to be BJP candidate from either the Haldwani or Lal Kuan seat. Tiwari, who is the only CM in the state to have completed his full term of five years, enjoys goodwill in Nainital and

Udham Singh Nagar

districts of Kumaon and his switching loyalties to the saffron party is likely to have an impact on electoral battles in the region.

While the veteran, who has been unwell since the last few days, did not interact with the media, his son Rohit told TOI, “ BJP is willing to give us respect which we were denied in the Congress. The prime concern for my father is to see both the states -- Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh -- in which he has done so much work in the last 75 years – to develop and prosper.”

He added, “We have joined BJP without setting any terms and conditions. Ticket is not the priority for me. If the party is willing, I will contest elections.”

Tiwari started his career with the Praja Samajwadi Party and was elected MLA from Nainital in 1952 and won the seat again in 1957. In 1963, he joined Congress and won the assembly elections from the Kashipur constituency.

The Congress stalwart was the CM of undivided Uttar Pradesh from January 21, 1976 to April 30, 1977, August 3, 1984 to September 24, 1985 and June 25, 1988 to December 5, 1989.

After Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh on November 9, 2000, the Congress under his leadership won the assembly polls. Tiwari remained the CM of the state from March 2, 2002 to March 7, 2007.

The senior Congress leader was also the governor of Andhra Pradesh for a period of two years before he stepped down in 2009 following allegations of a sex scandal at Raj Bhawan.