I am writing this in the context of the totalitarian propensities of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which are much more visible today than they ever were. However, we must remember that the political trajectory of India, since the first General Elections in 1952, includes the rise and fall of the fortunes of different political parties. Political analysts write obituaries of certain political outfits in haste, and are then forced to eat their words because these parties come back with new energy and stature. The political centre in India was carved from a charged nationalist movement before people-based coalitions came to occupy an important part. There is great pressure on parties to accommodate diverse interests and, as British jurist and liberal politician James Bryce had said, political parties have to organise the chaotic public will. But the real nucleus can be found in the unofficial structures of these parties. The confidence of the public, which translates into electoral votes, is won by sustained political mobilisation. “Unofficial” party organisations play an important role in this, and in ensuring the primacy of grassroots democracy.