There are scattered storm clouds on the horizon and the sea has turned slightly choppy. But the captain insists that the ship is sailing fine, its hull as strong as ever. Why, then, are some deck hands abandoning this mighty vessel—the all-conquering warship of the BJP? Political experts believe the party has reasons to worry. The signs are too ominous to ignore, they say. First, its oldest ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Days later, a key regional player—the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)—also quit the NDA ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar.
The LJP, which has been flexing muscles over seat-sharing for a long time, however, says that it broke ranks due to ideological differences with Janata Dal (United) and that it will continue to support the BJP at the Centre. It will come as little consolation to the party which has lost support of four major partners in the past two years. This despite the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to hold sway over a large chunk of voters. The BJP...
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