ND Tiwari meets Amit Shah, son says they have joined BJP

NEW DELHI/DEHRADUN: Former Uttarakhand chief minister Narain Dutt Tiwari's visit to BJP president Amit Shah at the latter's residence on Wednesday sparked reports of the Congress veteran "joining" the saffron party even as his nephew expressed shock and disappointment at the development.
Though there was no formal announcement by BJP, Tiwari's son Rohit Shekhar told TOI, "BJP is willing to give us respect without setting any terms and conditions.We have joined BJP without setting any terms and conditions. Ticket is not a priority for me. If the party is willing, I will contest elections."
Sources said Rohit could be eyeing seats such as Haldwani or Lal Kuan though there was no word from BJP. The 91-year-old Tiwari, who has also been CM of Uttar Pradesh, met Shah along with Rohit and wife Ujjwala.
Though Tiwari's personal life has been controversial, he enjoys a standing in the hill state and has never been on good terms with CM Harish Rawat. In fact, Rawat's loyalists feel Tiwari actively worked to prevent his rise in the state. Rawat also took the bait, saying, "We will respect N D Tiwari forever but he had a certain stature and Congress gave him everything except the post of PM. He has fallen for 'putramoh'."
Tiwari's move drew an angry reaction from his brother's family which said that the veteran was being manipulated for the political gains of persons close to him. Manishi Tiwari, son of Tiwari's brother Ramesh Chandra Tiwari, said in a statement: "I would like to inform everyone that the family is extremely disappointed, in fact shocked, at the developments regarding ND Tiwari. We are a long-standing Congress family of freedom fighters and we have reason to believe that Tiwariji would never desert Congress on his own volition."
Manishi, an Uttarakhand Congress unit secretary, suggested that his uncle was being pushed into the saffron fold. "We strongly believe these decisions are being made for him, by others, keeping in mind their own interests and agendas. Either way, we members of the Tiwari family do not endorse this move at all," he said.
Even if a formal joining is awaited, Tiwari's meeting with the BJP boss holds significance as the party is looking to capitalise on his presence to woo Brahmin voters in UP and Uttarakhand. Thrice CM of UP and the third CM of Uttarakhand from 2002 to 2007, Tiwari also served as a minister at the Centre several times, having held charge of key portfolios like finance and external affairs.