Instead of opposing for the sake of opposing, the BJP would do well to hone in on its core message: liberal in economics, strong on national security, a generosity that is commensurate with its aspirations for India, an attempt to detach citizenship from community identity, and an ability to deliver at the level of the states. Forget the petulant glee that comes from targeting personalities, make your message on inflation, roads, power, etc more visible. In UP the BJP finds itself in the same dilemma that the Congress did: facing oblivion. But the solution for both parties in UP may be an unorthodox one: demand a much-needed further break-up of the state and hope that its politics can be transformed for ever. Perhaps it might be too much to expect a leopard to change its spots, but this leopard has no option.

The writer is president, Centre for Policy Research