What was the opinion of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar about local self-government during the drafting of the Constitution?

He believed that local elites and upper castes would exploit the downtrodden masses further.

The correct answer is Option (1) - He believed that local elites and upper castes would exploit the downtrodden masses further.

"When the constitution was being drafted, panchayats did not find a mention in it. At this juncture, a number of members expressed their sorrow, anger and disappointment over this issue. At the same time, drawing on his own rural experience, Dr. Ambedkar argued that local elites and upper castes were so well entrenched in society that local selfgovernment only meant a continuing exploitation of the downtrodden masses of Indian society. The upper castes would no doubt silence this segment of the population further. The concept of local government was dear to Gandhiji too. He envisaged each village as a self-sufficient unit conducting its own affairs and saw gram-swarajya to be an ideal model to be continued after independence."