Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus) considered sacred are found throughout India. They generally live in groups with a complex social organization having dominance hierarchies. They are both polygynous and polyandrous. A group may consist of one male, several females and their offspring or all male groups.  Multiple-male groups consist of many males and females of different ages. Single males, driven out of the group wander alone.
Hanuman langurs are known for flaunting infanticide phenomenon that was discovered in Dharwad, Jodhpur and Abu some fifty years ago. Briefly, in mixed compositions the dominant male monopolizes all females. Subordinate males can mate with females stealthily when dominant male is not in the vicinity. Dominance of larger male is maintained due to his aggressive powers which enables him mating success, and siring as many offspring as possible. In a way langurs live in a harem.
A subordinate male member of langur troop is incapable of taking head-on the resident dominant male and defeat him. Consequently, the subordinate males face a setback in accomplishing mating success and siring offspring. As a result, they hatch a plot to jointly fight the dominant male and drive him away. Then, the subordinate males (who are of comparable strength) fight among themselves; the winner becomes new resident commander and takes over the troop (harem).

Hanuman langurs (different species) are famous for practicing infanticide mostly in one-male and several female groups soon after replacement of the resident male by a new Master.  From evolutionary biology perspective, it is believed that males compete for mating success with females to leave behind their own progeny and pass on their genes to next generation. It is an effort to enhance one’s own fitness, a phenomenon that is common in animal kingdom. Infanticide is also seen in human society for reasons of poverty, raising step children, tribal practices etc.
A dominant male langur from the same or another group after taking over the troop and gaining full control over it kills all suckling infants sired by the evicted or other male(s). The lactating primates are not receptive to mating. However, the females come to heat and become receptive to mating following ablactation (weaning). Ostensibly, committing infanticide by dominant male is to hasten lactating females to become sexually receptive and produce new offspring to pass on his genes to next generation. Thus, female langurs of a troop are like the members of harem under the dominant resident male. Replacement of dominant resident male appears to take place usually around two years.
What has the infanticide behaviour got to do with politics? Are monkeys politicians? Honestly, I do not know. I only found some resemblance between how subordinate male langurs plan to take over the troop and how the small regional political parties having to sit in opposition hatch their plans to contain or overpower ruling party in power enjoying sound majority. However, the parties in opposition are helpless individually in overpowering the party in power much like the subordinate male member of langur troop. The members elected as independents do not belong to any party do not hold any rigid ideology are like female members of the langur troop. They usually align with the ruling party to derive benefits in any manner possible.

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The opposition parties which espouse the regional compulsions that differ from one State to the other. Individually, small regional parties can take on frontally with the ruling dispensation. Therefore, various political outfits with differing ideology come together, form alliances with a common goal of weaking or intimidating the duly elected leader of the largest ruling party as the Chief Minister or Prime Minister. This is to manoeuvre passing resolutions or bills to their advantage. The situation of opposition parties is thus analogous to that of the subordinate males of langur troops. They can tackle the situation only by joining hands with each other. However, they go beyond the langur strategy. For instance, when the alliance group fails to articulate effectively using sound arguments it resorts to creating a ruckus, sloganeering and making noise. It is said, when firmness is enough, rashness is unnecessary. When legislators/parliamentarians fail to win arguments through debate, or when various tactics fail, walking out in protest seems to become the last resort.
People play politics but Hanuman langurs may not. However, the strategy adopted by the subordinate male langurs to jointly fight the opponent is laudable. They then fight among equals to gain control of the troop. If the various political parties try to do the same (form alliance first and then fight among themselves) what is wrong? Langurs have not patented the strategy. Besides, they are our own distant cousins and, most revered species! Clearly, politicians are well within their rights in following the ancestral alleyway of langurs!

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