This book provides an explanation and analysis of the 2024 national parliamentary elections in India. The elections of 2024 have raised many questions regarding India s transition to democracy and its consolidation, and the exact nature of the national verdict, the role of religion, caste and regional identity in determining the outcome. We ask: is the state of Indian democracy a function of who wins an election, or of the electoral process, and its integrity?
By examining detailed state-based case studies and cross-cutting themes, the book highlights the democratic resilience of the Indian polity against the dominant narrative of democratic decline and backsliding. The chapters are written by eminent political scientists based in India and some younger researchers also based in India.
Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Religion, Caste and Contingency: Electoral Politics in Uttar Pradesh.- Chapter 3: Identity Politics and Regional dynamics in the Hill States of North India: Decoding Lok Sabha Elections 2024.- Chapter 4: Odia Asmita (self-respect) and BJP s Fortuitous Victory in Odisha s 2024 General Elections.- Chapter 5: Hindutva Checkmated? Interplay of Religion, Caste and Identity in the 2024 Lok Sabha Election in West Bengal.- Chapter 6: Religion, Region and Immigrants: Decoding the BJP Victory in Assam in 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.- Chapter 7: Vote, Seat Share and Social Basis of BJP in South Indian States---A Retrospective Analysis of Electoral Performance.- Chapter 8: Breaking a Closed Party System: The BJP in Kerala.- Chapter 9: Do Manifestoes Matter to Indian Voters: Identity, Development and Governance in Lok Sabha Election 2024.- Chapter 10: The Role of Political Consultancy in India s Electoral Politics (2011-24): Crisis of Party and/or Democracy.- Chapter 11: Uses of social media tools in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in India: A Case Study of National and Regional parties.- Chapter 12: Indian National Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha Election: Nation, Religion and Identity.
Harihar Bhattacharyya is a former Professor in the Department of Political Science, the University of Burdwan, India. He is the recipient of the 2025 Publius Distinguished Scholar Award.
Subrata Mitra is Emeritus Professor at Heidelberg University, Germany.
