India At The Polls

The Book Takes A Close Look At The Last Three Lok Sabha Elections Those Of 1996, 1998 And 1999. It Is A Study Of Why Elections Have Become More Frequent Since 1989. The Reason Given Is The Transformation Of The Party System From One Of Congress Dominance To A Multi-Party Configuration Reflecting The Instability Of Minority And/Or Coalition Governments And Hung Parliaments.

What are the key factors that win or lose elections in India? What does, or does not, make India's democracy tick? Is this the end of anti-incumbency? Are opinion polls and exit polls reliable? How pervasive is the 'fear factor'? Does the Indian woman's vote matter? Does the selection of candidates impact results? Are elections becoming more democratic or less democratic? Can electronic voting machines (EVMs) be fiddled with? Can Indian elections be called 'a jugaad system'? Published on the eve of India's next general elections, The Verdict will use rigorous psephology, original research and as-yet undisclosed facts to talk about the entire span of India's entire electoral history-from the first elections in 1952, till today. Crucially, for 2019, it provides pointers to look out for, to see if the incumbent government will win or lose. Written by Prannoy Roy, renowned for his knack of demystifying electoral politics, and Dorab Sopariwala, this book will be compulsory reading for anyone interested in politics and elections in India.

This empirically rich volume presents a holistic picture of the electoral process in Indian states and the return of the BJP to power. Drawing on the 2019 elections, it presents ground-level data to understand various aspects of elections: the nature of campaigning, caste, class and identity politics, electoral issues, poll strategies of different parties in the fray, electoral issues, electoral verdicts, the contestants, the leadership factor, the formation of government, among other empirical details. The essays underline the determinants of electoral behaviour by looking into the correlation between the background variables of voters and their voting choices. The essays also compare and contrast the 2019 election verdicts from the earlier elections held in the state under study. A long view of Indian state politics, this book will be essential reference for scholars and researchers of politics, especially political processes, and South Asian studies.

Does polarization help win elections? How have smartphones changed Indian politics? Did the Balakot strike make the difference in 2019? Why are women a distinct voting bloc in some states but not in others? Why does GDP growth have almost no impact on election outcomes? Since 2014, Pradeep Gupta and Axis My India have established themselves as India s most accurate and trusted election forecasters. Between 2013 and 2020, the Axis My India forecast was the most accurate in 92 per cent of state and general elections. Now Gupta takes us on a journey through the art and science of elections in the world s largest democracy. Based on years of field interviews and analysis, he gives us a masterclass provocative, entertaining and enlightening in how and why Indians choose their leaders."

Study of political trends since 1977, with special reference to the 1980 Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.