Welcome to The Political Fix by Rohan Venkataramakrishnan, a newsletter on Indian politics and policy. To get it in your inbox every week,...
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The Big Story: Regress
One suggestion that emerged in 2014, after the massive electoral victory posted by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the utter capitulation of the Congress, was of a “reverse merger”.
The proposition was as intriguing – at least for those who observe Indian politics – as it was completely unlikely: What if all the “offshoots” of the Congress folded back into the party to take on the BJP and Narendra Modi? What if all these outfits, which broadly retained the Congress identity, ideology and structures – albeit with a more regional focus – decided to work together?
Such an organisation would feature West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (who split from the Congress in 1997), Nationalist Congress Party head Sharad Pawar (who split from the Congress in 1999) and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy (who split from the...
