We may well touch the political nadir in 2019

The Modi mantra that led to the BJP’s vitory in 2014, has since had no effect on the BJP's own burgeoning fringe and the veneer is fast thinning. Social fragmentation has set in as governance has paled and job creation lost in catchy slogans. On the other hand, the Congress has not been able to recapture its relevance, leave alone it's eminence. Added to this is the helplessness of regional parties, most of which were founded by leaders with pan-national credentials who circumscribed regional aspirations within national themes. This gave us a valuable experience in coalition politics but soon enough, the game of numbers made their aim insular and their vision narrower.

To be fair, it was the Left, with its trans-national moorings, that was able to provide a shared platform and some political glue to these disparate outfits and helped extend their relevance. The Third Front was its brainchild. The weakening of an intellectual Left has taken away a vital  third balancing force that was both ideological and political. It is sad to see our political canvass reduced to a childish blotch of dull shades. The Opposition is unable to gather critical mass to etch any specific theme or pattern. We may see the worst of political potpourri in 2019.