There have been suggestions of national governments periodically. Former President R. Venkataraman, its most prominent votary, has held it to be an antidote to instability. His suggestion in the early 1990s was seen by many as an attempt to increase his own influence. In September 2007, endorsing the proposition, eleven members of parliament including Rahul Bajaj and Rajeev Chandrasekhar among others, made an appeal for a national government to avoid mid-term polls.

Sangma’s call for a coalition of the BJP-Congress comes in the third category of grand coalitions. It is clearly a product of the circumstances — more specifically the foreign policy and economic stalemate — and attempts to create stability artificially. At the same time, it is a strategic move to open space for other parties — including Sangma’s party — which they may not otherwise get.

The writer teaches political science at Panjab University, Chandigarh