Babasaheb Ambedkar's Entry into the Constituent Assembly: Politics of Representation in Colonial India

Abstract: This study analyzes Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s entry into the Constituent Assembly as a pivotal moment in the struggle for marginalized representation. Initially excluded by structural barriers—including colonial electoral rules and Congress dominance— Ambedkar’s eventual election through Bengal, supported by J.N. Mandal, highlighted that constitutional legitimacy required the inclusion of historically oppressed groups. The paper contrasts Ambedkar’s focus on legal institutionalism with Mandal’s pragmatic coalition-building. While Mandal’s alliance with the Muslim League offered an alternative strategy for Dalit power, his later disillusionment underscored Ambedkar’s warnings about the vulnerability of minority rights in majoritarian systems. Together, their trajectories reveal that Indian constitution-making was not merely a nationalist project but a complex contest over caste and institutional access. Ultimately, their collaboration ensured that social justice and constitutional morality became foundational to the modern Indian state rather than peripheral concerns.