Former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh Awarded Bharat Ratna Amid BJP's Political Maneuvers Ahead of Lok Sabha Polls

Former Prime Minister of the country, Chaudhary Charan Singh, will be conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday. Taking to the social media platform, PM Modi said this honour is dedicated to the former Prime Minister's incomparable contribution to the country.

"It is the good fortune of our government that former Prime Minister of the country Chaudhary Charan Singh is being honoured with Bharat Ratna. This honour is dedicated to his incomparable contribution to the country. He 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, even as an MLA, he always gave impetus to nation-building. He also stood firm against the Emergency. His dedication to our farmer brothers and sisters and his commitment to democracy during the Emergency are inspiring to the entire nation," PM posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

हमारी सरकार का यह सौभाग्य है कि देश के पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री चौधरी चरण सिंह जी को भारत रत्न से सम्मानित किया जा रहा है। यह सम्मान देश के लिए उनके अतुलनीय योगदान को समर्पित है। उन्होंने किसानों के अधिकार और उनके कल्याण के लिए अपना पूरा जीवन समर्पित कर दिया था। उत्तर प्रदेश के… pic.twitter.com/gB5LhaRkIv

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 9, 2024

Jayant Chaudhary reacted to PM Narendra Modi's announcement to honour his grandfather with Bharat Ratna. Reacting to PM's official X post, Singh Wrote, "Dil Jeet Liya." this comes at a crucial juncture, particularly as the BJP engages in discussions with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) for a potential alliance in the politically pivotal state of Uttar Pradesh. Notably, Chaudhary Charan Singh's grandson, Jayant Chaudhary, spearheads the RLD, adding layers of political significance to this development.

दिल जीत लिया! #BharatRatnahttps://t.co/Ns0CraJ7yI

— Jayant Singh (@jayantrld) February 9, 2024

Why Awarding Bharat Ratna for Chaudhary Charan Singh Helps BJP Politically in Uttar Pradesh?

The decision to bestow the Bharat Ratna upon Chaudhary Charan Singh holds strategic implications for the BJP's political landscape, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. 

The recent reports suggest that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jayant Chaudhary's RLD may enter into an alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024, sources have said. The seat-sharing between the BJP and the RLD has almost been finalised. Sources further suggest that the RLD will contest two seats in Uttar Pradesh, which are Baghpat and Bijnor. Besides this, it will also get one Rajya Sabha seat and one MLC berth in the UP Legislative Council.

Amid ongoing negotiations with the RLD, led by Jayant Chaudhary, the timing of this recognition underscores BJP's concerted efforts to strengthen its alliances and consolidate its position in key state ahead of the upcoming elections. Chaudhary Charan Singh, a prominent leader hailing from Uttar Pradesh, remains a revered figure in the political realm, especially amongst the local communities.

Moreover, the gesture of honouring Chaudhary Charan Singh with the Bharat Ratna serves as a symbolic bridge between the BJP and the RLD, fostering a sense of shared political heritage and values. This move is likely to support the BJP's efforts to cast a formidable alliance with the RLD, leveraging Charan Singh's legacy to garner support among rural voters and strengthen its electoral prospects in Uttar Pradesh and beyond.

Furthermore, against the backdrop of recent political realignments, including the BJP's renewed alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) in Bihar, the recognition of Chaudhary Charan Singh's contributions underscores the BJP's commitment to honouring regional leaders and fostering alliances that reflect shared ideological and political objectives.

Karpoori Thakur (Former Chief Minister of Bihar):

This year, it was first announced to give the Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur, the former Chief Minister of Bihar, recognised as a hero of social justice. Experts suggest that this decision by the Narendra Modi Government could potentially aid the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The share of backward and extremely backward classes in Bihar is 27% representing a significant portion of the population in the state. Karpoori Thakur holds considerable popularity within society, with an overall participation rate of 63%. This class regards him as their hero.

Karpoori Thakur's son, Ramnath Thakur, currently serves as a Rajya Sabha MP of the JDU. Just eight days after Karpoori received the Bharat Ratna, the BJP and JDU once again formed an alliance. Parties led by Chirag Paswan, Pashupati Kumar, and Jitan Ram Manjhi were already partners of the NDA. Given these new political equations, the BJP sees itself as considerably strong in Bihar. It is believed that by awarding the Bharat Ratna to Karpoori, the BJP has strategically addressed Bihar's political equation. Senior leaders of the party are now asserting their ability to secure victory in all 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the upcoming elections.

About Chaudhary Charan Singh:

Charan Singh was born in 1902 at Noorpur in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh, in a middle class peasant family. He graduated in science in 1923 and did his post-graduation at Agra University in 1925. Also trained in law, he set up practice in Ghaziabad. He shifted to Meerut in 1929 and later joined the Congress.

He was first elected to the UP Legislative Assembly in 1937 from Chhaprauli, and represented the constituency in 1946, 1952, 1962 and 1967. He became Parliamentary Secretary in Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant's Government in 1946 and worked in various departments such as Revenue, Medical and Public Health, Justice, Information etc.