New Delhi, Nov. 5 -- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, began with the avowed intention of making India Congress-mukt, or free of the Indian National Congress. Since the Congress remains the principal opposition party with a nationwide presence, the expression could also be understood as an aspiration to make India free of an effective opposition.

The serial decimation of regional parties, through the political maneuvering of Amit Shah, India's Union Home Minister and a senior leader of the ruling BJP, has made this increasingly evident. Often referred to as the "Chanakya of Indian politics," Shah draws this epithet from Chanakya, an ancient Indian political strategist and adviser to a king, traditional...