After Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur, a ministerial berth for his son Ramnath

Two-time JD(U) Rajya Sabha member of Parliament Ramnath Thakur was a little-known MP till January 23 this year when the Government of India announced Bharat Ratna posthumously for his father Karpoori Thakur, a day before his birth anniversary on January 24. The announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had opened a Pandora’s Box in Bihar politics with chief minister Nitish Kumar again deciding to walk to the Natonal Democratic Alliance (NDA) camp. Now, Thakur, 74, all is set to get a ministerial berth in the Union cabinet under Modi 3.0.

Thakur comes from Nai (barber) community, which forms 1.57% of Bihar population. The Nai community falls under the Extremely Backward Class (EBC) category, which constitutes 36.01% of the state’s population.

The JD (U) circles were certain of him getting the ministerial berth especially after Modi met with his entire family at his residence. “He was in the race right from the beginning. Nitish Kumar has drawn a lot from Karpoori Thakur’s ideology and governance methods. Ramnath Thakur becoming minister helps us play up the Karpoori symbolism. It will send a great message to the Extremely Backward Class (EBC) community of Bihar,” said a senior JD(U) leader.

Hailing from Samastipur district of Bihar, Thakur, who served as a minister in Bihar between 2005 and 2010, had made a reluctant entry into politics although he started assisting his father from 1970. “My father never wanted me in politics,” Thakur once said.

But after Karpoori Thakur’s death in February 1988, Ramnath took the plunge into electoral politics and was elected MLA. He was nominated to the Upper House of Bihar legislature in 1994. Thakur successfully contested the Assembly elections in 2000, February 2005 and then again in October 2005 from Samastipur and went on to serve as the land and revenue minister. Ramnath, however, lost the 2010 Assembly polls by a narrow margin in an election in which the Nitish-led NDA won 206 of Bihar’s 243 Assembly seats.

He became a Rajya Sabha MP on April 10, 2014.

“I consider myself lucky that the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar have shown faith in a small man like me. I will not break that faith; I will work to take their work forward. I will strengthen their hands,” said Thakur while talking to news channels in Delhi.

“I will work for the people of Bihar honestly under the guidance of Nitish Kumar. We have to put in hard labour for the welfare of Bihar. PM Modi in the meeting said that we will work on the path of development with dedication towards the people of the country,” said Thakur.

Thakur, an intermediate pass considered close to Nitish Kumar, has a good hold among the people of the extremely backward class. He also has influence on other backward castes.

“We are overwhelmed with the honour. It is a double bonanza after Jannayak Karpoori Thakur received the Bharat Ratna earlier this year. It brings a sense of great responsibility for Ramnath Thakur to excel in the assignment he will be given,” said a family member of Ramnath Thakur.

President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office and secrecy to prime minister-designate Narendra Modi and his cabinet ministers at 7.15pm on Sunday, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Forecourt.