Please look at the following 

Opposition parties will be opposition parties even if they had been in power until very recently. So on the eve of the monsoon session of Parliament, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party must be finding the attitude of the principal opposition party, the Congress, strangely discomfiting. 

Why has past perfect form been used here? Why should we not use simple past " even if they were in power until very recently."

As there is no past in relation which we can use past perfect, is the use of past perfect here correct?

Thank you.