In a political landscape dominated by polarisation and aggressive Hindutva narratives, the resounding success of Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led I.N.D.I.A bloc in Jharkhand offers the Opposition much more than a consolation prize.

Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance throwing all its weight to snatch Jharkhand from the hands of a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-headed coalition, the saffron camp suffered a debacle leaving the party's rank and file wondering what had gone wrong.

Maharashtra powered the opposition's sprightly performance in the Lok Sabha polls but the BJP-led coalition's decimation of the INDIA bloc in the assembly polls will put an end to any murmur about the ruling party's popular sway,