The Bharatiya Janata Party might have lost a string of prestigious by-elections. But a few swallows do not necessarily make a summer (Editorial page, “Chasing a rainbow alliance”, June 2). If the Opposition wants to pose a meaningful challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, its very first task should be to find a credible common leader and then draw up a mutually acceptable agenda. Prospects for such a poll outcome are bleak considering the present reach and strength of each of the parties that is likely to be a part of the proposed grand alliance.
C.G. Kuriakose,
Kothamangalam, Kerala
The Opposition seems to have finally discovered the magic formula to stop the BJP juggernaut — the consolidation of anti-BJP votes. However, it is debatable whether the rainbow metaphor is an apt depiction of the grand alliance of non-BJP parties. A rainbow is not merely a juxtaposition of different colours. It also conveys a sense of essential unity and wholeness. Individual colours seamlessly blend into the larger design of the whole.
The Opposition alliance, on the other hand, does not convey a sense of organic unity. The only thing common is their hatred for the BJP. Whether the Karnataka model turns out to be an exemplary model of Opposition unity or a bad experiment that is not worth duplicating at the Centre will depend on how the Congress-JD(S) coalition performs in the next one year.
V.N. Mukundarajan,
Thiruvananthapuram