Shaping political alliances

Opposition unity has suffered a setback

At their June 23 meeting in Patna, leaders of the 15 Opposition parties had reason to believe their parties had settled alliances in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Jharkhand, while the crucial one in Uttar Pradesh (UP) was a work in progress. But a significantly deflated bunch of leaders will meet in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18. The Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) joining the Maharashtra government has dented unity efforts. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders predict the Janata Dal (United) in Bihar would do a similar carve-out. Meanwhile, the BJP is reviving the almost