Advani, Kanshi Ram and Pranab Mukherjee likely to get Bharat Ratna

New Delhi, Aug 3: When the highest civilian award for the distinguished services of the country Bharat Ratna will be announced by the government this year, some interesting names are likely to figure in it. The other interesting aspect is that the government might announce four names altogether which will be the first in the history of Bharat Ratna as maximum three nominees are awarded in a year which was started in 1954.

Sources informed that the government might confer Bharat Ratna on former deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, one of the most respected Dalit icons after B R Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram, former President of India Pranab Mukherjee and one more name to be conferred from the south India.

Demand of Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram was doing rounds from very long for his services to the uplift of the Dalit community. The former President has been considered for his long and outstanding contribution for the polity of country and so has been the case with Advani. Bharat Ratna to Dalit icon Kanshi Ram will help the BJP government to reach out to them when there is a lot of acrimony in the community against the BJP. Similarly Pranab Mukherjee's honour will help the BJP in West Bengal.

Bharat Ratna is conferred on people in recognition to their exceptional service, contribution, performance of the highest order without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex. Earlier the award was limited to achievements in the fields of arts, literature, science, and public services, but the government expanded the criteria to include any field of human endeavour in December 2011. Recommendations for the Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President, with a maximum of three nominees being awarded per year but it is being said that this year it is going to be four.