Now, Athawale sports not just a saffron “bhandara” but also saffron shirts under suits that are brightly saffron too. During his 2009 campaign, Athawale mocked the “bhandaras” (saffron tilaks) of the Brahmins, though he sported a blue one of his own ---- blue being the Republican colour ---- which did not go down well with the masses. Meanwhile, many of his dwindling Dalit supporters go blue in the face. Athawale first tried to jump over the barbed wire fence. So, he made his way to the Shiv Sena, seeking a Rajya Sabha nomination for long and finally being accommodated by the BJP on their quota.

Source: Hindustan Times July 05, 2016 13:41 UTC