Political Battle Intensifies Over 'Jan Nayak' Title in Bihar Election: Congress, BJP, and Allies Clash Over Karpoori Thakur's Legacy

Karpoori Thakur remains a deeply respected socialist and political figure in Bihar's collective memory.

New Delhi:

With Bihar's election less than 10 days away, the opposition INDIA bloc finds itself embroiled in an internal dispute over the prestigious title of 'Jan Nayak' (people's hero), an honorific traditionally associated with socialist icon and former Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur.

The Samajwadi Party recently entered the fray when Lucknow (Central) MLA Ravidas Mehrotra declared, "All INDIA parties must collectively decide who deserves the 'Jan Nayak' title. No individual party can make this determination unilaterally... if that's the approach, then we propose Akhilesh Yadav as the 'Jan Nayak'." The Rashtriya Janata Dal has similarly advocated for senior leader Tejashwi Yadav to receive this recognition.

This controversy ignited after Congress bestowed the 'Jan Nayak' title on Rahul Gandhi. Hindustan Awam Morcha chief Jitan Manjhi, who aligns with the BJP-led coalition, dismissed these claims stating, "Such titles are granted by the people themselves... they cannot be self-designated."

Manjhi reserved particular criticism for the RJD's attempt to label Tejashwi Yadav, recently confirmed as the INDIA bloc's chief ministerial candidate. "I've heard people referring to Tejashwi Yadav as 'Jan Nayak'. This disrespects the very meaning of the term... Karpoori Thakur ji earned the title 'Jan Nayak'. What has Tejashwi accomplished for Bihar?" he remarked to news agency ANI.

Senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan offered a similarly terse response: "Bihar recognizes only one 'Jan Nayak'... Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur ji. Any failed attempts to appropriate his legacy will be rejected by the people."

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar added his perspective on X, saying, "Some individuals are presently occupied with proclaiming themselves 'Jan Nayak'. It is disgraceful to appropriate such an esteemed title."

The Congress party's portrayal of Gandhi as Bihar's 'Jan Nayak' appears designed to create positive voter sentiment before next week's elections. The party has responded to criticism by insisting they aren't competing with Thakur's legacy.

This dispute carries significant weight due to the enduring influence of Karpoori Thakur's legacy and its potential impact on voters in what analysts predict will be a close election. Both Nitish Kumar and RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav were mentored by the late Bihar icon.

The significance of Thakur's legacy was further highlighted when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited his ancestral home before launching the BJP's election campaign in Samastipur. Congress countered by claiming Thakur had actually been targeted politically by the Jan Sangh (the BJP's predecessor) during his tenure as Chief Minister in the 1970s.

The BJP responded by accusing Congress of 'title chori' (title theft), a play on their earlier 'vote chori' allegation.

Born on January 24, 1924, Thakur made history as Bihar's first non-Congress socialist Chief Minister, serving two terms in the 1970s. He is renowned for implementing Bihar's alcohol prohibition policy.

The BJP and opposition parties previously clashed over Karpoori Thakur's legacy in January last year when he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna. At that time, Nitish Kumar was still aligned with the opposition alliance and made pointed remarks including his expectation that the Prime Minister would "claim full credit" for conferring the prestigious award on Karpoori Thakur.

With inputs from agencies

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