India, Jan. 26 -- Like every prestigious State honour anywhere in the world, the Padma awards have always had a political angle and a national facet - as they did this year. Three of the five laureates in the Padma Vibhushan category, India's second-highest civilian honour, hailed from Kerala, a state that goes to the polls this summer and where the BJP has never gained more than a toehold. Tamil Nadu, another state that votes this summer, netted 13 awards in all; and West Bengal, which is expected to see a fierce contest, got 11. Maharashtra, which delivered a blockbuster victory to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), received 15. Many of the people who featured on the list hailed from communities and regions that might play a crucia...