Indians appear to love the practice of democracy so much that they are in danger of overdoing it. In February and March of 1998, the world’s largest democracy held its twelfth general election since gaining its independence a half-century ago. The voting was largely fair and peaceful. New, right-of-center rulers led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) replaced the old, left-of-center ones. The handover of power went smoothly.
About the Author
Atul Kohli, professor of politics at Princeton University, is the author of Democracy and Discontent: India’s Growing Crisis of Governability (1991). The research that led to the present essay has been supported by the Liechtenstein Research Program on Self-Determination at the Center for International Studies at Princeton University.
Indian voters pulled off a surprise by allowing the Congress party to retain power at the head of a more coherent coalition that is far less dependent on a congeries…
India’s sixteenth general election ushered in a new era in the country’s politics, putting Narendra Modi and the BJP firmly in charge. What accounts for the sharp swing away from…
Read the full essay here. India’s Supreme Court has played the role of a countermajoritarian check but has also flirted with populism. This essay examines three aspects of India’s higher…
