ABSTRACT
This book presents a comprehensive overview of India’s electoral democracy and political system. It provides an in-depth analysis of the 2019 parliamentary elections to explore three crucial facts of India’s political life: the legitimacy of political competition as the only basis of power; elections as the only legitimate basis of political competition; and political parties as the only legitimate agency to conduct political competition. The book argues that the vitality and resilience of India’s electoral democracy remain high owing to large mass participation in elections that are competitive and relatively free and fair.
The volume includes key theoretical, empirical, and comparative perspectives on parties and elections from experts, and covers all major political parties of India, along with the performance of many representative regional parties. It discusses themes such as elections and party competition in India; ideology, interest, religion, and gender as they affect social mobilisation and political transaction; economic and politial change, and multiparty democracy; the dynamics of the Muslim vote; fluctuating electoral fortunes; and electoral campaigns and role of social media.
This book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of political science, political sociology, election studies, Indian politics, South Asian politics, and South Asian studies. It will also interest those in politics, public policy and governance, civil society organisations, media and journalism, and the general reader.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|43 pages
Introduction
chapter 1|15 pages
Elections, Parties and Democratic Deepening in Transitional Societies
chapter 2|26 pages
Party Competition, the Electoral Process and Political Transaction
part II|93 pages
Elections and Parties in India
chapter 4|26 pages
Critical Realignment and Democratic Deepening
chapter 5|25 pages
The 17th Lok Sabha Elections and the Dismal Performance of the Indian National Congress
chapter 6|26 pages
Party Politics in India since the 2014 General Elections
part III|95 pages
View from India's Regions
chapter 7|22 pages
The Decline of the Left in West Bengal
chapter 8|19 pages
Leadership, Welfare, and Fluctuating Electoral Fortunes
chapter 9|28 pages
The Electoral Politics and Regional Dynamics of a Hill State 1
chapter 10|24 pages
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the 2019 Elections in Odisha
part IV|81 pages
The Electoral Process and Indian Society
chapter 12|22 pages
Does the Muslim Vote Matter?
chapter 13|21 pages
Continuity and Change in Electoral Campaigns, Media and Competing Issues
chapter 14|18 pages
The BJP's Electioneering Strategy and Use of Social Media in 2019
part V|20 pages
Epilogue