(Left to right) Chaudhary Charan Singh, P V Narasimha Rao, and M S Swaminathan.
Credit: X/@narendramodi, DH Photo
New Delhi: In an announcement that has potential electoral undertones, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his predecessors Charan Singh and PV Narasimha Rao as well as renowned agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan were chosen for Bharat Ratna.
The fresh set of names comes days after former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, who rooted his politics in social justice plank, and former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, who heralded the BJP into power through his contentious Rath Yatra, were chosen for the highest civilian award.
With this, India has honoured 53 people with Bharat Ratna.
During the past ten years when the BJP was in power, ten people were chosen for Bharat Ratna, which includes AB Vajpayee, Sangh icons Madan Mohan Malaviya and Nanaji Deshmukh besides former President Pranab Mukherjee and music maestro Bhupen Hazarika.
The choice of Charan Singh comes as his grandson Jayant Singh is aligning with the ruling BJP by dumping his I.N.D.I.A allies. In a curious parallel, Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had dumped the I.N.D.I.A bloc days after Thakur was chosen for Bharat Ratna.
Jayant posted on ‘X’ tagging Modi’s announcement, “dil jeet liya (you have won our hearts).” By bringing RLD to its fold, the BJP is seeking to woo Jat community by cashing on Charan Singh’s legacy besides trying to calm down farmers still angry at the saffron camp.
The government also decided to honour Rao, who hailed from undivided Andhra Pradesh, and is seen as an attempt to woo Telugus as well as deliver a poll-punch on the Gandhi family, with whom the former Prime Minister had a fall out.
By choosing Swaminathan, who is considered the father of Green Revolution and hailed from Tamil Nadu, the ruling BJP is aiming at Tamil voters which it is trying to bring to its side.
Announcing the awards on 'X', Modi highlighted Charan Singh’s “incomparable contributions” to the country. He said the former Prime Minister had dedicated his “entire life to the rights and welfare of farmers”.
“Be it the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh or the Home Minister of the country and even as an MLA, he always gave impetus to nation building…His dedication to our farmer brothers and sisters and his commitment to democracy during the Emergency is inspiring to the entire nation,” he said.
On distinguished scholar and statesman” Rao, he said his “visionary leadership was instrumental in making India economically advanced, laying a solid foundation for the country's prosperity and growth”.
Modi recalled that Rao’s tenure as Prime Minister was marked by “significant measures” that opened India to global markets, fostering a new era of economic development.
“Furthermore, his contributions to India's foreign policy, language and education sectors underscore his multifaceted legacy as a leader who not only steered India through critical transformations but also enriched its cultural and intellectual heritage,” he added.
Swaminathan, with his “monumental contributions”, played a pivotal role in helping India achieve self-reliance in agriculture during challenging times and made outstanding efforts towards modernising Indian agriculture, Modi said.
“We also recognise his invaluable work as an innovator and mentor and encouraging learning and research among several students. Dr. Swaminathan’s visionary leadership has not only transformed Indian agriculture but also ensured the nation’s food security and prosperity,” he said.