Archive Report
Archive Report
Indian Politics on the Eve of Elections
Transition to a New Political Era in India
India—now in its 20th year as the world's most populous democracy—is to hold its fourth general election in the middle of February. The Indian electorate, 240 million strong,1 will go to the polls between Feb. 15 and Feb. 21 to choose 521 members of the lower house of Parliament (the Lok Sabha) and members of the legislative assemblies of 17 Indian states.
The election forecast is for continued dominance of the Congress Party at New Delhi and in the majority of state capitols. Formed in 1885 to spearhead the movement for Indian independence, Congress—the party of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru—has governed the nation since it was freed from British rule in ...