Patna, Sep 1 : Senior Janata Dal (United) leader K.C. Tyagi resigned as the party's national spokesperson on Sunday, citing personal reasons.

His resignation was accepted by the party leadership. The party's National General Secretary, Afaque Ahmed Khan, issued a letter confirming Tyagi's resignation and announced the appointment of Rajiv Ranjan Prasad as the new national spokesperson.

This decision was made following the instructions of Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) National President, Nitish Kumar.

The letter from JD(U) states: 'National President of Janata Dal (United), Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, has appointed Rajiv Ranjan Prasad to the post of National Spokesperson. K.C. Tyagi, who was holding this post, has resigned due to personal reasons.'

K.C. Tyagi, a veteran JD(U) leader with a long-standing association with the party, has held various positions and is known to be very close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Tyagi was frequently seen on various news channels effectively presenting and articulating the party's perspective. His appearances were notable for his ability to clearly communicate JD(U)'s stance on a wide range of issues, thereby playing a significant role in shaping the party's public image.

However, sources within the JD(U) indicate that K.C. Tyagi had recently taken an independent stance on several contentious issues, which allegedly led to embarrassment for the party. Notably, Tyagi's views on the SC-ST reservation issue following a Supreme Court decision and on the Israel-Palestine conflict diverged from the party's official position. His stance was similar to the leaders of the INDIA bloc.

The rapid sequence of events -- Tyagi's sudden resignation and the immediate appointment of Rajiv Ranjan Prasad as the new national spokesperson -- suggests that the party may have pressured Tyagi to resign from his post. This move is likely aimed at maintaining party unity and avoiding further public discrepancies in its official stance.

/IANS