Letter to BS: Karnataka govt formation put brakes on BJP's expansion plans

Collaboration between the Congress and other secular parties will hasten the end of the BJP's predominance

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) poorly strategised stab at grabbing power in Karnataka blew up in its face. The Supreme Court’s order to conduct the floor test in a day’s time and telecast the proceedings live enabled the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) combine to make short work of the BJP and pre-empted the subversion of democracy. The saffron party is labouring under the delusion that its espousal of Hindu nationalism gives it the right to rule India. Fortuitously, the head-on clash between the BJP and the Congress-JD(S) over government formation gave a fillip to Opposition unity. The formation of a secular