New Delhi: As political lobbying for Bhara Ratna hots up, the RJD, a key ally of the UPA, today asked the Centre to bestow posthumously the highest civilian honour on former Bihar Chief Minister Karpuri Thakur.

The demand was raised by Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad who wrote a letter to Home Minister Shivraj Patil in this regard.

Thakur was twice chief minister of the state -- first from December 1970 to June 1971 and then later from June 1977 to April 1979.

Lobbying for Bharat Ratna has hotted up in the recent days with a host of parties proposing names of senior leaders like A B Vajpayee, Jyoti Basu, Kanshi Ram and M Karunanidhi.

Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP also demanded conferring of the award on 19th century social reformer Jyotibha Phule, Dalit leader Jagjivan Ram and singer Mohammed Rafi.

Source : PTI