Regional Political Parties In India

Contributed articles.

Today, regional parties in India win nearly as many votes as national parties. In Why Regional Parties?, Professor Adam Ziegfeld questions the conventional wisdom that regional parties in India are electorally successful because they harness popular grievances and benefit from strong regional identities. He draws on a wide range of quantitative and qualitative evidence from over eighteen months of field research to demonstrate that regional parties are, in actuality, successful because they represent expedient options for office-seeking politicians. By focusing on clientelism, coalition government, and state-level factional alignments, Ziegfeld explains why politicians in India find membership in a regional party appealing. He therefore accounts for the remarkable success of India's regional parties and, in doing so, outlines how party systems take root and evolve in democracies where patronage, vote buying, and machine politics are common.

India’s party system has been under flux, transformation and reconfiguration since the end of the 1980s. By the time the sun set on the twentieth century, the party system in India had developed a plurality of national and regional levels and following several experiences in fits and starts, coalition making among the parties too stabilized at the national level. The dawn of twenty first century thus witnessed a federalized party system in place, where coalition making and cohabitation amongst the parties stabilized at both national and regional levels. As a result, since 1999 India has had two completing governments completing their full term at the national level; the third, UPA II, has completed four years, and despite hiccups is likely to complete its full term till mid-2013. However, the party system in the country has turned competitive and several trajectories of alternation are being attempted by parties and leaders, making the emerging political situation fluid. The volume attempts to capture the emerging trajectories of the party system in India in the second decade of the twenty first century with seventeen essays written specially for this volume by scholars who met several times to discuss and formulate questions and critique each other’s drafts. Overall, the volume provides an incisive and comprehensive analysis of the far-reaching changes that India’s political parties and party system are undergoing. It looks into the institutional dimensions, processes and agenda, federal manifestations, transitions (including generational change) and extraneous influences brought in by globalization, Indian Diaspora and the impact of new media technology. Constituting an important contribution to the on-going debate on the Indian party system, this volume will attract the attention of students of Indian politics, political science, democracy, party systems and comparative politics.

Sensex Of Regional Parties by Aaku Srivastava: "Sensex Of Regional Parties" is a book that explores the political landscape of India, focusing on the performance and influence of regional parties in the country's politics. Aaku Srivastava provides insights into the significance of regional parties in shaping India's governance and policies. Key Aspects of the Book "Sensex Of Regional Parties": Political Analysis: The book offers a comprehensive analysis of regional parties' role in Indian politics and their impact on national and regional governance. Electoral Trends: "Sensex Of Regional Parties" delves into the electoral trends and performance of regional parties in various states and regions of India. Importance of Regional Politics: The book highlights the importance of regional politics and its influence on national decision-making. Aaku Srivastava is the author of "Sensex Of Regional Parties," a book that delves into the significance of regional parties in India's political landscape. Srivastava's work provides valuable insights into the dynamics of regional politics in the country.