Author: Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr

Political experts have no hesitation in blaming the divided opposition for the BJP’s success in elections—whether in the Lok Sabha polls since 2014 or in various state assembly contests. But the picture is more complicated than this simplistic proposition that a disarrayed opposition alone explains BJP dominance. India’s political structure may appear multipolar, with national and regional players criss-crossing both state and national elections. Structurally, however, it’s an oligopoly of two dominant parties—the BJP and the Congress—competing for power at the Centre, each backed by a set of regional allies. These allies remain confined to their home turfs: the TMC…