Shivanand Tiwari
Seasoned politician Shivanand Tiwari on Monday quit electoral and party politics.
Known as 'Baba' in political circles, the former MP was close to RJD chief Lalu Prasad and former chief minister Nitish Kumar in different points of his political careers. As the two political rivals close ranks to merge their respective parties, Shivanand found himself in the cold after the JDU suspended him.
'I have completed my 72nd year of life and entered the 73rd. Ever since I was expelled from the JDU, people have been asking me about my political future. I have decided that I shall not join any political party or contest elections in the future,' Shivanand said.
Known for attacking his political opponents strongly, Shivanand declared that he would write a book on his long association with politics in Bihar and his experience - particularly his relationship with Nitish and Lalu.
'Today, I am no longer with either (Nitish and Lalu). The truth is both of them have pushed me away,' Shivanand said.
Son of legendary socialist leader late Ramanand Tiwari, Shivanand has seen many ups and downs in his political career. He made his debut in politics during the JP-led agitation in the 1970s.
He was one of the founder members of Samata Party when Nitish separated from Lalu in 1995. But he joined hands with Lalu again and became the excise minister of the state.
Shivanand again joined Nitish after the former chief asked him to 'come back home'. He was awarded with a Rajya Sabha seat.
The veteran leader is known to have an acid tongue and never feared to speak out his mind in public. While with Lalu, he publicly spoke against the 'extra-constitutional' authority wielded by the brothers-in-law of the RJD chief. When he was with Nitish and the JDU and the BJP were allies, he hit out at the Sangh parivar.
After the JDU snapped ties with the BJP, he publicly berated the leadership at a party meeting in Rajgir for talking about winning 40 seats in the Lok Sabha polls when it did not have 40 suitable candidates. As a result, he was denied re-nomination for the Rajya Sabha and later expelled from the JDU.