ABSTRACT
The chapter focuses on the need to focus on the states as units for political analyses not only as a singular unit but also situate them in the larger context. Comparative studies do help in not only generalising but also seeing the exceptionalism of a particular state. Being constituent units of federal polity, states in India share almost identical institutional infrastructure which allow for comparison among them. There are national parties which contest both at national and state levels under the uniform electoral system. A careful study of the emerging trends in electoral politics does reveal certain commonalities across the constituent states. Punjab shares many of these commonalities but also has its own ‘exceptionalism’. The chapter then proceeds to discuss the determinants of the electoral politics in the state which brings out the specificity of the electoral politics of the state.
