India, Jan. 16 -- While the Opposition has been touting the idea of a mahagadbandhan (grand alliance), what is happening on the ground is entirely different. It is pretty clear now that a grand alliance is most unlikely. Instead, parties are more inclined to opt for State-specific alliances. This is so because the Opposition is not united in choosing a prime ministerial face. Then at the regional level, satraps like Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati have huge ego problems. All of them want to keep their options open for a post-poll scenario.
The situation has become more precarious ever since the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BSP announced their alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the 20...