Re-nationalization of India’s Political Party System or Continued Prevalence of Regionalism and Ethnicity?

Asian Survey, Vol. 51, No.6 (November/December 2011), pp. 1090-1112

Post author By Christophe Jaffrelot and Gilles Verniers
Post date November 14, 2011

Abstract

The Congress Party’s victory in India’s 2009 general elections led to claims of a re-nationalization of the political party system and to increasing issue-based voting. This article demonstrates that, to the contrary, the fragmentation of India’s political party system and the electorate is still increasing and that “ethnic voting” continues to prevail over issue-based voting.