Indian Politics and the 1998 Elections

After a period of relative stability spanning the first three decades after in independence, Indian politics has undergone a sea change from the beginning of the 1980s. This period has witnessed the emergence of regional parties at the national level, the fracturing of the electorate, and the emergence of coalition politics. As a consequence, India’s political scenario has become highly complex which is perhaps best exemplified by the 12th Lok Sabha (constituted in 1998), the shortest in the country’s history. This is the first book to critically analyze the 1998 General Election in terms of changes in the party system and in the bases of social support. Comprising dynamic analyses of new and emerging trends in Indian politics, this volume: Provides data on the 1998 election combined with a rich comparison with past elections right from 1957. The emergence of two-party competition and the fragmentation of the party system–both at the national and state levels–are discussed. Emphasizes the importance of regionalism in Indian politics. Eleven state-focused chapters, which include material on assembly elections, constitute the core of this volume. They reveal that national politics are increasingly reflective of state politics. Examines a large range of important electoral issues including changes in party alliances, the role of social factors such as caste, ethnicity, and religion; and the relationship of democracy to separatist movements and political violence. The Hindu belt and its ‘ethnic fault lines’, the continued rise of the BJP, the survival of the Congress Party, the near collapse of the Janata Dal, and separatist movements in the Punjab and Kashmir are also discussed. This timely volume is being published on the eve of the 13th General Election slated for September 1999. With its analysis of the key components of Indian politics, it will assist an informed understanding of the current political scenario, and of the 1999 election which is expected to take the world’s largest democracy into the 21st century. With its rich and comparative analysis of the major political strands that have emerged in recent elections, this volume will be of considerable interest to those in the fields of political science, psephology, election studies and sociology.