With the Lok Sabha elections scheduled here in India, in May, major political twists and strategies are in the happening. And in a recent development, dancer Pratibha Prahlad, longtime companion of the late politician Ramakrishna Hegde, decided to revive the Lok Shakti (LS) party founded by Hegde.

With Hegde's son, daughter and son-in-law joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pratibha says she wanted to keep Hedge's vision alive and take it forward.

In an interview to a national daily, Pratibha has said that the reason for her joining politics is to fulfil her partner Hegde's wish. She says that Hegde often blamed himself for his party's merger with the Janata Dal, six years ago, and that it was his dream to revive the Lok Shakti.

Pratibha has campaigned for Hegde, a wellknown leader in his time, since 1991, and says she had known the politician for over 15 years. She met him when she was 'barely' 27. And now, the 42-year old dancer and mom of seven-year old twin boys is all set to make her presence felt in the Lok Sabha elections. The dancer says that Lok Shakti has 'quite a presence in UP, Karnataka, Bihar and Punjab'.

Pratibha initially trained in Bharathanatyam with Prof. U.S.Krishna Rao and later under Muthuswamy Pillai and Kalanidhi Narayanan. She has also trained in Kuchipudi under Vempatti Chinna Satyam. She holds a master's degree in Mass Communication and contributes frequently to the leading newspapers. She also heads Prasiddha Foundation, a cultural organisation in Bangalore.

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You can write to Pratibha Prahlad at prasidha@satyam.net.in