New Delhi: Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and freedom fighter Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya will be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, a Rasthrapati Bhavan communique said Wednesday.

“The President has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthmously) and to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee,” the communique said.

Mr Vajpayee will be the first leader from the country’s political right to be conferred the honour, said sources.

A final decision to confer the award was reportedly taken at a meeting PM Modi held with top BJP leaders including Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, the party president.

The BJP has been demanding the Bharat Ratna for Mr Vajpayee for the last five years. It had criticised the UPA government in 2013 when, despite its demands that Mr Vajapyee be conferred the award, the government conferred the honour on cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and eminent scientist CNR Rao.

A Bharat Ratna for Dr Madan Mohan Malaviya, popularly known as ‘Mahamana’, was one of the promises made by the Prime Minister during the campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. The Banaras Hindu University, founded by the educationist, is in the PM’s constituency in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi.

The Bharat Ratna Award, instituted on January 2, 1954, is conferred “in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order”, without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex.

Recommendations for the Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President.

Recipients receive a certificate or Sanad signed by the President and apeepal-leaf shaped medallion. The award does not include any monetary grant.

Till date, 43 illustrious men and women have been honoured with the prestigious award, including leading politician C Rajagopalachari, scientist C V Raman and singer Lata Mangeshkar.