Why India Votes? Exploring the Political in South Asia Series

Why India Votes? offers a fascinating account of the Indian electorate through a series of comprehensive ethnographic explorations conducted across the country ? Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. It probes the motivations of ordinary voters, what they think about politicians, the electoral process, democracy and their own role within it. This book will be useful to scholars and students of political science, anthropology and sociology, those in media and politics, and those interested in elections and democracy as also the informed general reader.

Glossary . Foreword Jonathan Spencer. Acknowledgements 1. Introduction 2. The Campaign 3. Political Language 4. The Polling Station 5. Why Do People Vote? 6. Conclusion. Appendices . Bibliography . About the Author. Index

Postgraduate

Mukulika Banerjee is Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, and Director of the South Asia Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science.