Not just Opposition unity, BJP has more problems to deal with before 2019

Opposition unity has been a key factor, but on its own that would have made little difference to the by-election outcomes; a BJP defeat needed a significant vote base erosion as a second development

The results of 10 Lok Sabha by-elections held in the last eight months make one thing clear: it is not just the coming together of the non-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) parties that has reduced the BJP’s tally to a solitary seat out of the 10, a sharp contract to its victory in eight out of the same 10 in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Opposition unity has been a necessary factor, but on its own that would have made little difference to the by-election outcomes. Defeat for the BJP needed a second development: significant erosion of the party’s vote base.