An opinion piece by Shekhar Gupta argues that India’s national politics is evolving toward a de facto one-party system under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), despite the party lacking an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha. The article claims that the BJP has consolidated power by weakening or absorbing regional parties, leaving the Congress as the only significant opposition. However, with a limited electoral success rate, Congress has failed to present itself as a credible alternative.

The analysis identifies four pillars driving the BJP’s dominance: hardline Hindutva, intensified nationalism, effective welfare programs, and visible infrastructure development. It contends that Congress lacks convincing counter-narratives in these areas and has lost its earlier assertive stance on national security and nationalism. The piece recalls Congress’s past military decisiveness under leaders like Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, contrasting it with the party’s current cautious tone on defense and foreign policy issues.

The author warns that if Congress continues to project weakness on national issues and fails to articulate a distinct vision, India’s emerging two-party dynamic could easily shift into a one-party political order.