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.
While he did not achieve the sweeping victory many predicted, Narendra Modi led his ruling coalition to a third consecutive victory. In so doing, he is laying the foundation for…
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…
In this symposium, the Journal of Democracy brings together leading scholars of India to perform a biopsy on the state of that country’s fragile democracy, and to offer us a…
