Political lobbying for the Bharat Ratna reached a fever pitch on Saturday with Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati demanding that the honour be conferred upon party founder late Kanshi Ram, while the Communist Party of India-Marxist indicated that veteran leader Jyoti Basu was not in the race.

With less than two weeks left before the government announces National awards, Mayawati said, "Kanshi Ram should also be conferred the Bharat Ratna for his invaluable contributions in the uplift of dalits and the oppressed".

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister's demand came close on the heels of the Bharatiya Kanata Party's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani proposing that the country's highest civilian honour be given to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"I have to come know through the media that the government of India is considering giving the Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee and Basu. I support it, but at the same time, it should also be given to Kanshi Ram," Mayawati said at a hurriedly convened news conference in Lucknow.

With Basu's name doing its rounds, CPI-M sources said in New Delhi that the party does not accept state awards. "It is not a practice of our leaders to accept state awards," the sources said.