"TMC-Congress Merger Sounds Good In Theory, Not In Reality": Sushmita Dev - YouTube
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A potential TMC-Congress merger looks rational on paper but collapses under the weight of coalition theory — proving that political alliances are held together by incentives, not ideology.
Coalition TheoryRational Choice TheoryPolitical FragmentationGame Theory
Theory Briefing
- Former TMC leader Sushmita Dev dismissed merger talk as impractical, despite both parties sharing opposition to the BJP.
- Coalition theory predicts parties resist mergers when identity and power-sharing costs outweigh electoral gains — exactly Dev's implied argument.
- India's fragmented opposition landscape makes formal mergers rare; opportunistic alliances dominate, consistent with rational choice models of party behaviour.