Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray asserted on Sunday that the Bharat Ratna conferred upon former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur by the Narendra Modi government is a strategic move to secure votes from the eastern State in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Mr. Thackeray, addressing a gathering of Shiv Sena (UBT) workers in Mumbai, highlighted the historical opposition from the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, precursor to the Bharatiya Janata Party, toward Thakur’s decision to allocate 26% reservation for backward classes in government jobs.
He suggested that the BJP’s recognition of Thakur’s contributions through the Bharat Ratna is an attempt to garner support in Bihar, contrasting it with the unfulfilled promises, such as the implementation of recommendations made by Dr. S Swaminathan to increase farm income.
Mr. Thackeray questioned the government’s intentions.
