BJP takes wind out of Lalu-Nitish sails

Posthumous Bharat Ratna for former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur with eye on backward vote bank

- DHEERAJ KUMAR

In a master stroke, the BJP dispensation has decided to posthumously honour former Bihar chief minister and a veteran socialist leader Karpoori Thakur with the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award.

By bestowing Bharat Ratna on Thakur, the saffron party can hope to make inroads into the core backward caste vote bank of both the RJD and the JD (U); the BJP can harp on how both Nitish and Lalu had failed to confer the highest civilian award on a politician who belonged to the 'Nai' community -- an EBC caste.

With BJP already trying to demolish caste barriers by using the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya as a common thread to bind all castes, JD (U) and RJD have to reformulate their poll strategy, as both parties may be stumped by the latest saffron googly.

Bihar JD (U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar had little choice in the matter when he welcomed the honour for Thakur. He, however, added by way of explanation that the Centre had decided to confer the Bharat Ratna due to repeated requests by Nitish.