Modi-Shah’s BJP Blamed Regional Parties For Instability theprint.in

Where are the so-called powerful regional parties of India and their strong local satraps who were, until about a year ago, being feared for their ability to destabilize the polity and threaten national security?

Today, leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik, Nitish Kumar, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad and Mayawati appear much weaker than just a decade ago. They are routinely dismissed in the dominant political narrative set by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah as destabilisers of a strong, unified India. And yet, India is no stronger or more stable today than before. Not when democratic institutions are weakening across the board at an alarming pace.