The Janata Dal (United) on Saturday sought to firmly distance itself from a demand made by former party MP KC Tyagi urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The party clarified that Tyagi’s appeal was made in his personal capacity and does not reflect the JD(U)’s official position or ideology, even as the letter reignited political debate over Nitish Kumar’s legacy and standing in national politics.

The clarification came two days after Tyagi wrote to Prime Minister Modi, describing Nitish Kumar as a “precious gem” of the socialist movement and arguing that his contributions merited the Bharat Ratna. The letter, dated Thursday, quickly drew attention in political circles, especially given Nitish Kumar’s stature as one of India’s longest-serving chief ministers and his pivotal role in contemporary coalition politics.

Responding to queries about the letter, JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad made it clear that the party does not endorse Tyagi’s demand. “The former party MP has made several statements in the recent past which have not been in line with the party’s ideology and not the official stand,” Prasad said. “All statements made by him shall be deemed to have been made in his personal capacity.”

Prasad also hinted at Tyagi’s diminishing role within the party, stating that office-bearers were “not sure whether Tyagi continues to hold any post in the party.” His remarks underlined the JD(U)’s effort to draw a clear line between the party leadership and the former MP’s public interventions, particularly on sensitive or high-profile issues such as national honours.

Notably, Nitish Kumar himself has not reacted publicly to Tyagi’s letter or the subsequent political reactions. Known for maintaining a measured distance from personal glorification, the Bihar chief minister has traditionally avoided encouraging demands for awards or honours in his name.

KC Tyagi, a veteran socialist leader, has been associated with the JD(U) since its formation more than two decades ago, after it emerged from a broader socialist tradition. A protégé of former prime minister Charan Singh, Tyagi has long positioned himself as a custodian of socialist values within the party. Over the years, he was also known to be close to Sharad Yadav, the former JD(U) president and one of the party’s founding figures.

Sharad Yadav’s eventual fallout with Nitish Kumar in 2017 led to a split, after which Yadav floated a separate political outfit and later merged it with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) shortly before his death. Tyagi, however, chose to remain aligned with Nitish Kumar, a decision that cemented his continued, though sometimes uneasy, association with the JD(U) leadership.

In his letter to Prime Minister Modi, Tyagi invoked the legacy of Charan Singh, a former prime minister and prominent farmer leader who was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna by the Modi government. Referring to that decision, Tyagi wrote that March 30, 2024, was “a day to honour our ancestors,” thanking the prime minister for recognising towering figures of Indian public life.

It was on that day that President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Bharat Ratna on former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Charan Singh, renowned agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, and socialist icon and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, all posthumously, at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The decision was widely seen as an attempt to acknowledge leaders from diverse ideological and regional backgrounds.

Drawing a parallel, Tyagi argued that Nitish Kumar deserved similar recognition. “Impressed by your efforts, I humbly request that Nitish Kumar, a precious gem of the socialist movement, is also worthy of this honour,” he wrote. He further noted that several leaders had received the Bharat Ratna during their lifetimes, suggesting that the award need not be reserved only for posthumous recognition.

“On behalf of millions of people, I hope and request that our beloved leader Nitish Kumar be bestowed with this honour so that history remembers your efforts,” Tyagi added, framing the appeal as both a tribute to Nitish Kumar and an endorsement of the prime minister’s record of honouring past leaders.

The JD(U)’s swift attempt to disassociate itself from the demand reflects the party’s cautious approach to national symbolism and coalition politics. Nitish Kumar currently leads a government in Bihar that returned to power in a landslide victory late last year, with the JD(U) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming the ruling alliance in the state. At the national level, the JD(U) is also a crucial constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), especially after the BJP fell short of an outright majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Within this political context, any public demand for a top civilian honour for Nitish Kumar carries potential implications for alliance dynamics and public perception. Party leaders appear keen to avoid the impression that the JD(U) is lobbying for recognition or leveraging its alliance position to seek personal honours for its leader.

Political observers note that Nitish Kumar’s career spans several decades and includes multiple terms as chief minister, as well as stints as a Union minister. He is often credited with improving governance, infrastructure, and law and order in Bihar during key phases of his tenure, though his frequent shifts in political alliances have also attracted criticism.

Despite his long public career, Nitish Kumar has rarely been associated with overt campaigns for personal accolades. This has contributed to a political culture within the JD(U) that publicly emphasises governance and development over individual glorification. The party’s response to Tyagi’s letter appears consistent with this ethos.

At the same time, the episode highlights internal differences within the broader socialist tradition from which the JD(U) emerged. Leaders like Tyagi, shaped by the legacy of figures such as Charan Singh and Karpoori Thakur, often view state honours as a means of preserving ideological history. The current party leadership, however, seems more focused on maintaining political discipline and alliance coherence.

For now, the matter appears to have been closed by the JD(U)’s clarification, with no indication that the party will pursue or support any formal demand for the Bharat Ratna for Nitish Kumar. Whether Tyagi’s appeal finds resonance beyond his own circle remains to be seen, but the episode has once again drawn attention to Nitish Kumar’s complex political legacy and the careful balancing act his party continues to perform on the national stage.