It is definitely capable of sending a large contingent of members to the Lok Sabha in support of the NDA. This alliance has two important impacts:

Firstly, it has established the irrelevance of the third front.  All non-Congress regional parties will have to align with the non-Congress combination represented by the NDA. The third front and the left front can never suit those occupying the non-Congress space in their states. In order to form a government, they will loose their political identity by being close to the Congress. They will loose their political identity. It is thus important for them in the larger interest of their politics to be a part of the NDA. The TDP's return to the NDA has reinforced this point.

Secondly, with this election is becoming increasingly a one horse race. This alliance substantially settles the issue whether the NDA will get 272+ on its own or not. The NDA now is capable of achieveing the half mark by itself.

The FIR against Amit Shah

The first information report lodged against Amit Shah comes as a surprise to any student of law. An appeal to the voters to take revenge against the incumbent government or the opponent because of its non-performance by voting against them is routinely done. The context in which the speech has been delivered has to be analyzed. In this speech, Amit Shah makes an appeal to the electorate to vote against someone and avenge the injustice. I wonder which provision of law can such a speech violates since it is only an appeal to vote.

(Author is leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha)

(Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author in this article are his own and do not reflect the views of Mediabharti.com- Editor)