Mamata, Vijayan, Stalin: As Congress fades, regional satraps provide real opposition

In the 1990s, regional parties chipped away at Congress’s hold on power, with the United Front government marking the high point of the process, vastly enhancing the clout they first wielded during the V P Singh-led coalition, propped up from outside by BJP and Left Front. They were part of the power equation when Congress-led UPA held office and have proved resilient even after PM Modi won back-to-back Lok Sabha majorities.