Saturday, December 06, 2025 | 03:57 AM ISTहिंदी में पढें
Business Standard
Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

Unity in futility

The pitch for 'Opposition unity' is back in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. In the past, it has proven to be a bogus, defeatist idea, as elections are not just about arithmetic

Parliament
premium

Shekhar Gupta
Whenever a majority government is so firmly entrenched in power that it seems improbable for one challenger to defeat it, the idea of “Opposition unity” returns.

We need to explain why this is a bogus, defeatist, and repeatedly failed idea. Why this often ends up helping a well-settled incumbent. And why this is the political equivalent of selling snake oil.

The Opposition is rehashing the same failed idea today, with just a year to go before the first votes are cast for the general election in 2024. We can understand where they are coming from.

Read their lips: We have the right to
Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper