But appearances are deceptive, if we look at the heresthetic attacks the UNPA has been mounting since its inception. The BJP and the Congress, though competitors, have a collusive interest in preventing the consolidation of a third front. They, however, cannot be caught cooperating, so they fill the policy space by taking differentiated standpoints on existing issues and by sometimes co-opting or at other times ignoring new issues.

The Kalam card in the presidential elections may have bombed but in the process it hurt the BJP and also made the Congress uncomfortable. In the vice-presidential elections that followed, the UNPA was first-off-the block in announcing its candidate. The other two fronts, realising the salience of the Muslim issue, co-opted it and followed a similar line with the NDA announcing its candidate just a day ahead of the closing of nominations. The incumbent fronts, therefore, gave no space to the new front.

On the nuclear deal, even before the 123 agreement was made public, the UNPA made its decision to oppose it public. The BJP, though briefed of the dialogue process by the government, had to take a divergent line from the Congress. By focussing on the Khammam firing in Andhra Pradesh and ignoring a similar standoff in West Bengal, the UNPA constructed issue frame pushed the Congress on the back foot. Not surprisingly, the third front call for alternate economic policies has simply been ignored by both the BJP and Congress. Until now the incumbents have not allowed any heresthetical advantage to the UNPA.

... contd.