Alliance politics can be easily called as politics of opportunism. That is why it does not necessary last long, recent case of the Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (PDP-BJP) break up in Jammu and Kashmir was the best example of north pole meeting south pole, with no match in ideologies. But since we are living in an era of coalition hence it cannot be avoided. Even when BJP came into power in 2014 with clear majority on its own, we still had a coalition. As far as 2019 elections are concerned, one thing is certain that whichever side is able to consolidate its allies, will have a greater chance of coming to power, so National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP and all Opposition parties including Congress have their task clearly cut out.
However, it is easier said than done, especially where conflict of interest rises in the states. Karnataka episode clearly tells us that the oldest political party in the country is ready to play second fiddle, in its objective of keeping its main rival BJP and Narendra Modi out of power, but whether it will replicate same model in other states and nationally is very difficult to answer as then it will have to swallow its pride. Coming to other Opposition parties, it is a good beginning in Uttar Pradesh by-polls where Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal combine were able to defeat BJP but how it pans out in 2019 when BSP chief has categorically said that she will only be part of coalition when she gets enough seats, is difficult to answer at this juncture. Meanwhile, BJP would do well to take lessons from former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who held NDA partners together during first NDA rule. While Modi's charisma is intact and will remain so, it is better to not put all your eggs in one basket and build a cohesive and strong alliance.
Bal Govind, Noida
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