Nitish Kumar's Bharat Ratna Bid: Unlikely NDA Allies and Lalu's Son Weigh In

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's name has surfaced for the prestigious Bharat Ratna award, with several National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders and an unexpected supporter from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) backing the proposal. The call for India's highest civilian honor began with Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi, who wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi citing Kumar's two decades of leadership in Bihar. While Kumar's party, JD(U), distanced itself from the request, stating it was Tyagi's personal view, several NDA leaders have since expressed their support. Chirag Paswan, a minister in PM Modi's cabinet, praised Kumar's leadership, saying Bihar's progress over the last two decades is a testament to his worthiness for the honor. Another MLA from Paswan's party, Raju Tiwari, also backed the request, calling Kumar a 'rare' leader. Bihar assembly speaker Dr Prem Kumar welcomed Tyagi's statement, highlighting Kumar's crucial role in Bihar's development. In an unexpected twist, RJD boss Lalu Prasad Yadav's estranged son Tej Pratap Yadav also weighed in on the issue. He suggested that if Bharat Ratna is awarded to Nitish Kumar, it should also be awarded to Lalu Prasad Yadav, citing their close relationship. KC Tyagi, who has been with JD(U) since its inception, pointed out that PM Modi has previously conferred the award on late Chaudhary Charan Singh and Karpoori Thakur, both founding members of the NDA. The debate over Nitish Kumar's eligibility for the Bharat Ratna award continues, with some arguing that the process should be followed to determine the recipient. The development has added a new layer of complexity to Bihar's politics, which had been relatively quiet since the assembly elections in November.