MUMBAI, January 4: The elections to the Lok Sabha appear to have become the game of the name. And all parties are scrambling to ensure that any dynastic fallout happens in their favour rather than against.So while the Congress might have pulled off a minor coup by finally persuading Sonia Gandhi to at least campaign for the party, Maharashtra is playing out its own game of destiny and inheritance.
And there could be no better catch for the political parties in the fray -- basically in two camps, the Hindutva and the secular -- than a grandson of Dr Ambedkar. After all, even Kanshi Ram swears by the Father of the Indian Constitution and claims he is the true inheritor of the Ambedkar legacy.
So while the Congress has been pulling out all stops this time round to strike an alliance with Prakash Ambedkar, Dr Ambedkar's grandson, whose biggest advantage in garnering Dalit votes is his famous name, the BJP has not been too far behind. But `Which Ambedkar?' became the frantic query leading up to the
announcement this afternoon.
A section of the Congress pushed panic buttons when they heard of the impending announcement. For Prakash was said to have been negotiating seat adjustments with Congress leaders until 2 pm today. At 4 pm, he was allegedly slated to join the BJP.
It turned out that he was right. For the BJP had not bagged Prakash but his cousin Ashok, not much heard of, even in RPI circles. ``This is almost like the Mahabharata,'' added the observer when duly informed. ``After all, `which Ashwathama' was most important to the winning side!'' Touche!
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
