This year’s list also has shadow of Assembly polls hanging over it- a large number is from T.N. (11), Assam (9), Bengal (7) and Kerala (6).
The Padma awards are not only an acknowledgement of achievers in many fields but also capture the zeitgeist of public life. This year’s awards list, peopled with performers, also has the shadow of coming Assembly polls hanging over it- a large number of awardees is from Tamil Nadu (11), Assam (9), West Bengal (7) and Kerala (6).
Among those from Assam, the choice of Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi stands out.
The posthumous honour is being interpreted as the BJP’s attempt to reach out to the influential Ahom community in the politically crucial region of Upper Assam, a region that has 56 of the 126 Assembly seats.
Known for their traditional support to the Congress, the Ahom community had endorsed the BJP in the 2016 Assembly polls. But political equations have changed after the…