The starter’s pistol has not gone off but the race is on if the seat adjustments and political confabulations are any criterion. But Lok Sabha 2019 presents a more confusing picture at this point than the last general election, when one contender was miles ahead. The ruling National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party is in pole position but out in front its frailties are also evident. Despite the bluster and brave words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his colleagues