VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar hospitalised in Pune after chest pain
Pune (PTI): Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar was admitted to a hospital in Pune on Thursday after he complained of chest pain, his party said, requesting that the privacy of the Dalit leader's family be respected.
“Balasaheb (Prakash) Ambedkar was admitted to a hospital in Pune in the early hours of Thursday, October 31, for chest pain. He is being treated in the ICU for a blood clot in his heart. His condition is stable and he will undergo angiography in the next hour,” said VBA on X.
The party said Ambedkar is expected to be under observation for the next 3-5 days.
“VBA state president Rekha Tai Thakur, with the support of the party’s election coordination committee, manifesto committee and media and research department, will be leading the (assembly election) campaign of VBA for the next few days,” the post said.
The family of 70-year-old Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, won’t take questions at this time, the party said, requesting that their privacy be respected as they deal with the circumstances concerning his health, the post added.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
