Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been taking surprising decisions in the selection of names for Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.
He had recently announced the names of former Prime Ministers Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, apart from former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur, veteran BJP leader LK Advani and Green Revolution father MS Swaminathan.
BJP’s election strategy is also behind the selection of these names. There are some names which have been selected by BJP because its hold in their society is weak. Also, the saffron party has tried to embarrass the Congress by including in this list the leaders who are at loggerheads with the Gandhi family in some way or the other.
Narasimha Rao’s influence in the southern states
PV Narasimha Rao is known as the Prime Minister who laid the foundation of the country’s economic reform. He was born in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
A senior BJP official said that apart from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Narasimha Rao still has influence on voters in the southern states. He could recite Sanskrit verses. Apart from this, he was also knowledgeable about Vedas and Upanishads.
The BJP leader said, “He was treated badly by the Gandhi family and the Congress party. Prime Minister Modi and the BJP leadership always attack Congress for promoting dynasty rule and ignoring talent. Narasimha Rao is an example of this.”
The BJP hopes that giving the top honor to Narasimha Rao will give the party electoral benefits. A senior BJP leader said, “BJP was trying to woo Rao’s daughter Vani Devi, but BRS took charge by nominating her as MLC. “With Bharat Ratna, the party has also stopped BRS from claiming his legacy in the state.”
Narasimha Rao has been given this award immediately after the consecration of Ram temple. This is an issue that brought Narasimha Rao closer to the RSS, the ideological source of the BJP.
The BJP leader said, “Narasimha Rao was directly involved in the talks between Hindu and Muslim groups. He had befriended the then VHP chief Ashok Singhal. “Later he expressed his desire to build a grand temple and got land acquired by the government near the disputed site.”
attempt to help farmers
By electing M S Swaminathan for the Bharat Ratna, the BJP has made an effort to boost its reach in southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala and strengthen its commitment to the farming community.
Born in Kerala, Swaminathan made Tamil Nadu his home. Referring to him, the PM said that he has made a significant contribution to agriculture and the welfare of farmers in our country.
Swaminathan was born in the Madras Presidency which included present-day Andhra Pradesh, almost the whole of Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha and Telangana.
The BJP leader said, “The Prime Minister has talked about doubling agricultural income, increasing production to reduce dependence on imports and making farmers self-reliant. Swaminath worked on these issues throughout his life. By honoring him, the PM has reiterated that the welfare of the Kilams is at the top of the agenda.”
Attempt to remove Jat resentment
The award to Jat leader Chaudhary Charan Singh ahead of the Lok Sabha elections is expected to boost the party’s reach towards farmers and the Jat community spread across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.
The BJP is also close to announcing an alliance with his grandson Jayant Chaudhary’s Rashtriya Lok Dal.
The BJP leader said, “Due to the year-long farmers’ agitation before the UP elections, the BJP was expecting a poor performance in the Jat-dominated parts of the state.
But that did not happen. Barring a few constituencies, BJP has emerged as the party of choice for Jats also. BJP-Jat relations will be further strengthened by coming together with RLD.”
Along with giving awards to political opponents, BJP has also tried to dispel allegations of running a continuous campaign against the opposition.