Visakhapatnam: Seven states in India account for 63 per cent of all Padma Shris awarded in the last 16 years. Also, the number of Padma Shri awards increased by 30 per cent in election years compared to the preceding four non-election years.
Data of www.factly.in posted by Rakesh Dubbudu indicates that Maharashtra and Delhi account for a third of all Padma Shri while Bihar barely has had 20 winners, less than two per cent. The data examines the three election years — 2004, 2009 and 2014 — wherein more Padma Shri awards were given, apparently for political mileage.
In 2004, the number of Padma Shris was 74 while the average for the preceding four years was 57. In 2009, the Centre awarded Padma Shri to 93 persons compared to the preceding four-year average of 66. In 2014, 101 Padma Shris were given compared to the preceding four-year average of 80. Out of the 1,200-odd Padma Shris given in the last 16 years, Delhi and Maharashtra accounted for close to a third. Add Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka to the list, and the percentage of awardees from these five states crosses 50.
The BJP-led NDA government in 2004 awarded Padma Shris to 74 people. Of these, 13 were given to people from Delhi and 10 each to those from Karnataka and Maharashtra. Six awards were given to people from Kerala and five each from Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
That year, the BJP did well in both Karnataka and Maharashtra but lost badly in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
In Kerala, the BJP could not win even a single constituency. Eventually, the NDA lost the election and the UPA came to power. In 2009, the Congress led UPA government awarded Padma Shris to 93 people — 16 to Delhi, 14 to Maharashtra, eight to Tamil Nadu, seven to Kerala and four each to Karnataka, West Bengal and undivided AP.
The Congress was in power in Delhi, Maharashtra and AP, while its ally DMK was in power in Tamil Nadu. In Kerala, the LDF was in power and the Left Front had just withdrawn its support to the UPA government. Not a single award went to Gujarat.
The Congress led UPA was in power when the Padma awards were announced in 2014. Out of the 101 Padma Shris, Delhi and Maharashtra took a lion’s share with 21 and 16 awards respectively.
