Most external people forget that India is closer to the model of Europe with a united monetary policy than a US or China or any individual countries it is compared to. Each province is big enough to be a country in itself, has significant power and provincial politics are as diverse as the spectrum of governments across Europe (there's actually an elected communist government in a province). The ruling coalition nationally doesn't enjoy rule in majority of the provinces and indeed has little line sight to it.
Therefore, sitting inside India, it's really funny to see outside columnists trying to paint broad generalizations of Indian politics.
Yeah similar to how columnists with alternative views are called "outside columnists" -- us and them -- or sometimes deshdrohis. Many Indians fail to see the reality in chasm of words.
Don't forget that if you look at the spectrum of provincial and national politics in India over the last 60 years, we've seen literally everything - linguistic regional movements for state formation, religious voting blocks, caste based voting blocks, thug-rule strongmen, regionalism (Bal Thackery etc) communists, dictatorship in all but name as we as well as educated socialists & professionals. These things have gone in cycles & overall all things considered the current set of political leadership in provinces & center seems to be a marked improvement over history (except possibly in Uttar Pradesh - but that's coming up for elections in Feb 17)
Therefore, sitting inside India, it's really funny to see outside columnists trying to paint broad generalizations of Indian politics.