Assembly bypolls lay bare a divided INDIA
A significant message emerging from the bypolls is the failure of the INDIA bloc to make common cause and put up a joint front.
It is never easy to forecast what the outcome of byelections — parliamentary or Assembly —means for a ruling party/coalition and the Opposition. These elections are generally treated as perfunctory exercises that have to be gone through per the rules when a seat falls vacant mid-way through a five-year term, unless the political context is significant and loaded with messages for another day. And such bypolls have dotted the political landscape periodically, serving as bellwethers or morale boosters for an also-ran party.