This book provides an explanation and analysis of the 2024 national parliamentary elections in India. The elections of 2024 have raised many questions regarding India's transition to democracy and its consolidation, and the exact nature of the 'national' verdict, the role of religion, caste and regional identity in determining the outcome. We ask: is the state of Indian democracy a function of who wins an election, or of the electoral process, and its integrity?

By examining detailed state-based case studies and cross-cutting themes, the book highlights the democratic resilience of the Indian polity against the dominant narrative of democratic decline and backsliding. The chapters are written by eminent political scientists based in India and some younger researchers also based in India.

Shows how national, regional and even local identities can compete in a single political space Assesses the resilience of democracy in an ethnically diverse yet transitional society in the Global South Provides rich empirical data on the elections at the national and state level

Autorentext

Harihar Bhattacharyya is a former Professor in the Department of Political Science, the University of Burdwan, India. He is the recipient of the 2025 Publius Distinguished Scholar Award.

Subrata Mitra is Emeritus Professor at Heidelberg University, Germany.

Klappentext
An important and timely book about an intriguing election that challenges many of the existing narratives about the rise of the BJP in India. Deserves to be widely read. David Taylor, Emeritus Professor, Aga Khan University, Pakistan 2024 once again confirmed that it is impossible to understand election outcomes in India without looking beyond national narratives. These essays, by an excellent group of scholars, offer rich insights into the state-level contests that produced the 18th Lok Sabha. Louise Tillin, Professor of Politics, King's College London, UK This collection of essays examines the complex interplay of religion, caste and identity in the electoral politics of the States of India's federal democracy. It highlights the evolving dynamics of the eternal triangle: unity, diversity and uniformity. It also throws light on the conundrums implicit in the idea of India as a Hindu nation, fraught with dilemmas and contradictions. Indispensable reading for understanding the crossroads at which the Indian Republic finds itself in its 75th year. Balveer Arora, Chairman, Centre for Multilevel Federalism (CMF), Institute of Social Sciences, and Chairman, Board of Governors, CSDS, Delhi, India This book provides an explanation and analysis of the 2024 national parliamentary elections in India. The elections of 2024 have raised many questions regarding India's transition to democracy and its consolidation, and the exact nature of the 'national' verdict, the role of religion, caste and regional identity in determining the outcome. We ask: is the state of Indian democracy a function of who wins an election, or of the electoral process, and its integrity? By examining detailed state-based case studies and cross-cutting themes, the book highlights the democratic resilience of the Indian polity against the dominant narrative of democratic decline and backsliding. The chapters are written by eminent political scientists based in India and some younger researchers also based in India. Harihar Bhattacharyya is a former Professor in the Department of Political Science, the University of Burdwan, India. He is the recipient of the 2025 Publius Distinguished Scholar Award. Subrata Mitra is Emeritus Professor at Heidelberg University, Germany.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Religion, Caste and Contingency: Electoral Politics in Uttar Pradesh.- Chapter 3: Identity Politics and Regional dynamics in the Hill States of North India: Decoding Lok Sabha Elections 2024.- Chapter 4: Odia Asmita (self-respect) and BJP's Fortuitous Victory in Odisha's 2024 General Elections.- Chapter 5: Hindutva Checkmated? Interplay of Religion, Caste and Identity in the 2024 Lok Sabha Election in West Bengal.- Chapter 6: Religion, Region and Immigrants: Decoding the BJP Victory in Assam in 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.- Chapter 7: Vote, Seat Share and Social Basis of BJP in South Indian States---A Retrospective Analysis of Electoral Performance.- Chapter 8: Breaking a Closed Party System: The BJP in Kerala.- Chapter 9: Do Manifestoes Matter to Indian Voters: Identity, Development and Governance in Lok Sabha Election 2024.- Chapter 10: The Role of Political Consultancy in India's Electoral Politics (2011-24): Crisis of Party and/or Democracy.- Chapter 11: Uses of social media tools in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in India: A Case Study of National and Regional parties.- Chapter 12: Indian National Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha Election: Nation, Religion and Identity.