This book renders a fascinating study of how democracy survives in India despite the personality cult having a remarkable sway over the polity. An overview of the subject raises several questions: Would this cult and its several offshoots in any way subvert the Constitution, whose core component is both secular and democratic? How real is this apprehension? In what shape or form could this happen, if it does? And what precautions or alternative measures need to be taken to counter this threat to a democratic setup? How will the political outfits headed by such leaders, devoid of inner party democracy affect the working of parliament and legislatures at the national and state level? Above all, will the fragmentation become further accentuated in the coming years? If this happens, then how would it really affect the political stability? Will the Constitution and the deep national commitment to democratic values contain the personality cult in the long run? This work makes a serious attempt, probing these queries and seeking relative answers, through the profiles and political shenanigans of nine leaders who became instrumental in changing the entire equation at the centre-state level. An analysis of these regional satraps lends an insight into how cult following makes for a perfect democratic paradox.
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