After the recent Lok Sabha elections, the discourse has been led by the “big” parties, and it is easy to conclude that “small” is no longer beautiful. It has been the peace of the graveyard for political analysts who survive on complex electoral expression — the phenomenal victory secured by the Congress in 2009 has threatened to render politics at the moment tediously boring.

They would have us believe it is almost a clutter-free arrangement. A “big” party rules the roost, and even objections by important allies, say, the DMK and the Trinamool, appear too small to record — compared, for example, with the noise and tumble-dry early days of UPA-I.

But for the forthcoming assembly elections once again, interestingly, keen questions are being asked about “small” parties altering the electoral map, thereby giving a lease of life to those who think there is life beyond a two-dimensional understanding of party politics in India. With the first big

assembly polls (Maharashtra) approaching, there is a lot of anxiety around the political battle that is likely to take place. The morale of the beleaguered Shiv Sena and the BJP there is low and even generally the opposition, both Right and Left, continues to appear bereft of argument and voice. The Congress and the NCP are set to go in together as an alliance, as are the Shiv Sena and the BJP. The fight is for a key western Indian state where the Congress-NCP bucked anti-incumbency in 2004, and is now optimistic after the alliance’s performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

... contd.