Veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari joins BJP

DEHRADUN: Congress veteran N D Tiwari today joined BJP along with son Rohit and wife Ujjwala, dealing a major blow to a party he served for over five decades ahead of February 15 Assembly elections in Uttarakhand.

91-year-old Tiwari was thrice chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and was the third chief minister of Uttarakhand from 2002 to 2007. He also served as a minister at the Centre several times having held charge of key portfolios like Finance and External Affairs.

Tiwari was also the Governor of Andhra Pradesh from 2007 to 2009, a post he quit after being embroiled in a sex tape controversy.

Tiwari's induction into BJP is a major shot in the arm for the party ahead of the Assembly elections as he is arguably the tallest leader from the state and most seasoned politician alive.

This desertion by him is yet another blow to Congress which is already smarting from the setback dealt by 11 sitting MLAs, including Vijay Bahuguna, Harak Singh Rawat and Yashpal Arya who joined BJP just a couple of days back.

Tiwari's entry into BJP will strengthen the party in a big way as he is one of the most influential leaders from the state who wields considerable clout in both Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand BJP spokesman Munna Singh Chauhan said.