Forty Years of World’s Largest Democracy

"Half of the people on earth who live in a society with civil liberties live in India", remarked Daniel Moynihan, a former U.S. ambassador to India. The fascinating story of voting in the world’s largest democracy is told in this book. It provides factual data on electors, voters and the fortunes of all-India and regional political parties in the elections held during the last forty years to the Lok Sabha and the State assemblies. It also examines the issues which figured in the election manifestoes and campaigning of the principal contending parties in the latest elections to the ninth Lok Sabha held in November 1989. Many of these ranging from poverty and illiteracy to communalism, corruption and electoral reforms are problems that the country will continue to have to cope with in the coming years. It is appropriate that this publication should have been sponsored by the Press Trust of India. The book includes tables, charts and maps depicting the outcome of the successive elections to the Lok Sabha and the State assemblies. Also eight pages of photographs which capture the atmosphere of the latest elections. Readers will find this book a valuable reference work to understand the changing political scene in a vibrant democracy.