Patna: Political posters supporting former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have surfaced outside the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) office in Patna on Saturday, renewing the demand that he be conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour.
The posters have also drawn attention for describing Nishant Kumar, Nitish Kumar’s son, as the future leader of Bihar. The posters praised Nitish Kumar’s nearly two decades of leadership in Bihar, portraying his tenure as a landmark period in the state’s political and developmental journey.
One of the slogans read, “Nitish, the servant, seeks… the Bharat Ratna honour.” Another message on the posters said, “Nitish Ji’s mission is incomplete… only Nishant Kumar will complete it.”
The reference to Nishant Kumar has triggered political discussion, as he has largely stayed away from active electoral politics. The demand to confer the Bharat Ratna on Nitish Kumar has been raised on several occasions in recent years.
In January 2026, senior JD-U leader KC Tyagi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Union government to award the Bharat Ratna to Nitish Kumar.
In his letter, Tyagi described the former Bihar Chief Minister as one of the remaining prominent leaders of the socialist movement and said that his contributions to governance and public life deserved the country’s highest civilian honour.
He also referred to the Bharat Ratna being conferred on Chaudhary Charan Singh and Karpoori Thakur, saying that Nitish Kumar’s work for social justice, farmers, and marginalized communities similarly warranted national recognition. He appealed to the Prime Minister to honor what he described as the aspirations of millions of people by conferring the award on the veteran leader Nitish Kumar.
The proposal has also received support from veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh. In December 2024, Union Minister Singh publicly said that Nitish Kumar had made significant contributions to Bihar’s development and that leaders with such achievements deserved recognition through the country’s highest civilian honour.
The latest posters have once again brought the issue into the political spotlight. While they reflect support from sections of Nitish Kumar’s supporters, there has been no official response from the JD-U, the Bihar government, or the Union government regarding the demand or the references to Nishant Kumar in the campaign.
IANS
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