Word: maharani
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...that point the maharani usually brakes her automobile, climbs out of the driver's seat and makes an unregal speech to her onetime subjects. In India's upcoming February election, the Maharani of Jaipur, 41, is running for a parliamentary seat from Rajasthan state, and not in the 14 years of Indian independence has there appeared a candidate with her aura and appeal: she is rich, beautiful, intelligent, and a first-rate politician...
...maharani represents the most striking example so far of the return of India's onetime ruling class to national politics. One of the government's first moves in 1947 after independence was to start removing from power the 562 maharajahs who had ruled their states under benevolent English eyes. Pensioned off with handsome privy purses, some of the maharajahs retired to dream of past glories. But about 20 have entered the diplomatic service; another 40 are in politics. None has created the stir caused by the Maharani of Jaipur, who chose to join the new and growing Swatantra...
Listen, My Sisters. Speeding from village to village, the campaigning maharani grimly undergoes such ritualistic welcomes as having her mouth stuffed with sweetmeats seven times, then explains the Swatantra platform to enthusiastic peasant crowds. Attacking Nehru's ruling Congress Party, she is sometimes fuzzy, particularly on foreign affairs, and when stumped, disarmingly admits: "I don't really know any more about this.'' But on the whole, she knows what she wants. Says she, the Congress Party's economic policy "is like growing a babul tree and expecting to get mangoes. They come to you when...
Says she about Nehru's ambitious economic plans: "I think we need these five-year plans, but we are taking on more than we can cope with." The maharani makes a special pitch to the Hindu village women who listen to her, traditionally segregated behind bamboo fences: "I want to tell you, my sisters here, to cast your votes in favor of the Swatantra Party...
Uncomfortably aware of the beautiful maharani's impact, Nehru's Congress Party has decided to match her with a powerful opponent: Rajasthan's Revenue Minister Damodar Vyas. But not even Vyas seems likely to beat her personal appeal. At a rally last week in Malpura, Vyas' home town, a crowd of 5,000 paraded through the town crying "Long Live Our Maharani," paused outside Vyas' house to shout insults; elsewhere, village poets hymned the maharani. She is grimly determined to win, but at the moment her major campaign concern is the garlands and flower petals...