Rashtriya Janata Dal spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari has resigned from all party posts, alleging sustained humiliation, disregard for loyal workers and a breakdown in the organisation’s internal decision-making under Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav.
Tiwari announced his decision on Thursday after meeting Bihar RJD president Mangani Lal Mandal and other senior leaders at the party’s Patna office. Declaring that “enough is enough”, he said remaining in the organisation had become untenable because complaints raised over several months had produced no corrective action.
The senior leader said he had informed Tejashwi Yadav about his grievances and had also approached several office-bearers. He alleged that a small group of influential functionaries had acquired disproportionate control over the party and was weakening it from within.
“Politics cannot be done by compromising one’s self-respect,” Tiwari said while explaining his resignation. He maintained that dedicated workers who had supported the RJD through difficult periods were being sidelined, while those close to the leadership exercised authority without accountability.
Tiwari, one of the party’s most visible television representatives, said Lalu Prasad Yadav had personally entrusted him with the responsibilities of spokesperson and media in-charge in 2014. He said he had defended the RJD’s policies and leadership for years, including during periods when the party faced political setbacks and organisational pressure.
He expressed gratitude towards Lalu Prasad and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi but said the party’s internal environment had changed sharply. Tiwari alleged that Tejashwi Yadav had become surrounded by people who prevented established workers from reaching the leadership or influencing decisions.
His remarks placed the focus on Tejashwi Yadav’s management of the party after a period marked by electoral reverses, leadership disputes and complaints from sections of the organisation about access to senior decision-makers. Tiwari urged him to introspect over the RJD’s direction, its treatment of workers and the influence exercised by a narrow circle around him.
Tiwari said he had endured humiliation for seven to eight months before deciding to step down. He claimed assurances were offered whenever he raised the issue, but no substantive action followed. He also suggested that the authority of senior leaders was being undermined by individuals operating through informal channels.
The immediate status of the resignation remained unclear. Tiwari said he had submitted it in the presence of Mandal and senior figures, including Sunil Singh and Tanveer Hassan. Mandal initially said he had not received a resignation and indicated that the leadership would attempt to resolve the dispute.
Mandal described Tiwari as a loyal worker who retained faith in Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav. He said dissatisfaction within a political organisation could be addressed through dialogue, signalling that the party was not treating Tiwari’s departure as irreversible.
No formal announcement had been made on whether the resignation was accepted. The conflicting accounts suggested that party leaders were seeking to prevent the dispute from developing into a wider organisational confrontation.
Tiwari has not named every leader he holds responsible. Reports of internal discussions, however, pointed to differences with chief spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav and dissatisfaction over Tiwari’s reduced role in national television debates. He had regularly appeared on news channels to defend the party on governance, caste politics, employment and Bihar’s law-and-order situation.
His exit could affect the RJD’s media strategy because he was among its few long-serving upper-caste public faces. The party has traditionally drawn its principal support from Yadavs, Muslims and sections of disadvantaged communities while trying to widen its appeal among upper castes and non-Yadav groups.
Speculation that Tiwari may join the Bharatiya Janata Party or another constituent of the ruling National Democratic Alliance intensified after his announcement. He said no decision had been taken and that he would consult supporters before determining his next political step.
