Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee, Madan Mohan Malaviya

The President's Office on Wednesday announced the Bharat Ratna award to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.The announcement was made on the eve of Mr. Vajpayee's 90th birthday and the 153rd birth anniversary of Pandit Malviya.The BJP has been demanding Bharat Ratna for Mr. Vajpayee for a long time; and BJP patriarch L.K. Advani has been at the forefront of seeking the highest civilian honour for the former Prime Minister.Earlier, Mr. Advani had written a letter to the UPA Government to award the Bharat Ratna to the former Prime Minister. The request was however, overlooked by the UPA government, said sources. In 2013, the award was conferred to cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and scientist C.N.R Rao.