Bharat Ratna for BJP veteran Advani, days after one for socialist icon Karpoori Thakur

Decision to confer Bharat Ratna for Advani, the biggest practitioner of ‘Kamandal’ politics, after honouring Thakur, the face of ‘Mandal’ politics

BJP veteran LK Advani, whose Rath Yatra for a Ram Temple in Ayodhya led to demolition of Babri Masjid and catapulted his party to power, was on Saturday chosen for Bharat Ratna, ten days after the Narendra Modi government decided to honour socialist icon Karpoori Thakur.

The announcement to confer the country’s highest civilian award on the former Deputy Prime Minister was made by a “very emotional” Prime Minister Narendra Modi on ‘X’ who said Advani is “one of the most respected statesmen of our times” whose “contribution to the development of India is monumental”.

The decision to confer the award on one of the biggest practitioners of ‘Kamandal’ politics came ten days after the Modi government chose Thakur, the first symbol of ‘Mandal’ politics, and 11 days after the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple, one of the three key agendas of the Sangh Parivar.

The back to back but decoupled awards for Thakur and Advani ahead of Lok Sabha elections is also seen as the ruling BJP’s attempt to derive political mileage out of the announcements.

A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique later said, “the President has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Shri Lal Krishna Advani.”

Accepting the award with “utmost humility and gratitude”, Advani said it was “not only an honour” for him as a person “but also for the ideals and principles” that he strove to serve throughout his life.

Ever since he “joined the RSS” at the age of 14, he said, what has inspired my life is the motto 'this life is not mine, my life is for my nation' while remembering Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and AB Vajpayee with whom he worked closely. He thanked “millions of my party workers, swayamsevaks and others” with whom he worked for the honour.

The 96-year-old leader, a former BJP president for multiple terms but missed to become India’s Prime Minister as he had to play second fiddle to AB Vajpayee, will be the 50th person to be conferred the Bharat Ratna.

The Modi government has conferred Bharat Ratna to seven people in the past ten years, including Vajpayee, Sangh icons Madan Mohan Malaviya and Nanaji Deshmukh besides former President Pranab Mukherjee, music maestro Bhupen Hazarika and Thakur.

Modi, who called on Advani and congratulated him on the honour, said Advani started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as the Deputy Prime Minister. His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights, Modi said while recalling his services Home and Information and Broadcasting Minister .

“Advani-ji’s decades-long service in public life has been marked by an unwavering commitment to transparency and integrity, setting an exemplary standard in political ethics. He has made unparalleled efforts towards furthering national unity and cultural resurgence. The conferring of the Bharat Ratna on him is a very emotional moment for me,” he said.

He said he would always consider it his privilege that he got “countless opportunities to interact with him and learn from him”.

The announcement on Thakur came a day after the January 22 event in Ayodhya, which culminated in the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) joining the NDA and leaving the Opposition I.N.D.I.A weakened. The BJP sought to steal a march over the Opposition on ‘social justice’ through the choice of Thakur.

Similarly, the honour for Advani, who was at loggerheads with the party over choosing Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate ahead of 2014 polls as well as his praise for Pakistan founder Mohd Ali Jinnah earlier, is seen as an attempt to appeal to the party loyalists.

It was his ‘Rath Yatra’ for the temple that helped BJP rise to become the party of power though he faced the allegation of heralding communalisation of the country in the recent decades. Though he expressed disapproval of the demolition of Babri Masjid, Advani and other senior leaders were present at the scene when ‘karsevaks’ brought down the religious structure.

Advani and Vajpayee worked in tandem earlier but the former could not rise to become Prime Minister as his bid in 2009 ended a cropper after UPA returned to power.