This refers to the article, “Taking forever to be battle-ready” (April19) Kalyani Shankar. Impartially speaking, all other parties, saving the grand old party and the left, wield their influence in their respective regions. But smarting from their massive defeat at the evanescent BJP's hands, they are thinking, faute de mieux, of forging the Bihar-like mahagathbandhan, putting their egos on the back burner even as the bitterest political arch rivals — the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have agreed in principle to unite.
But on the face of it, this is not as easy because who will lead the big opposition combine, is a poser, as SP supremo Mulayam Singh is in no mood to join any alliance, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi seems lackadaisical for health reasons. Even if such a grand alliance sees the light of the day, with a minimum common agenda based on common ideology, its litmus test will be the upcoming presidential and vice presidential elections. The BJP has sufficient numbers to field its own candidates for both the seats.