New Delhi, April 7 -- Several small parties had tried to come together with the SP, but the coalition started disintegrating after a short while.

At the time when the I.N.D.I.A bloc was trying to send a message of unity from a rally in New Delhi, the alliance got a body blow in Uttar Pradesh-the state that elects 80 Lok Sabha MPs-as the grouping's two key constituents announced their decisions to part ways.

As a result, the I.N.D.I.A bloc in the state appears to be in a bad shape, reducing it to just an SP-Congress grouping.

Adding to the troubles of the Opposition bloc, outfits and partners have been breaking away from it at regular intervals over the past month or so and reducing it to a virtual non-player in the politically most imp...