As a first-time voter, I can’t help but feel completely perplexed by the nature of our democracy. The sheer vastness and scale of the upcoming elections is nothing short of baffling. To demystify the abstract nature of elections, I recently picked up Ruchir Sharma’s Democracy on the Road which chronicles 25 years of elections across India. While reading this I realized there’s so much to unravel when it comes to Indian elections: from the logistics involved, to the history behind it; everything seems fascinating. So, if Indian politics piques your interest too, here are a list of books you can read to know more about our country’s elections:
Democracy on the Road
Author Ruchir Sharma offers an unseen portrait of Indian democracy, drawn from his two decades on the road chasing election campaigns across every major state. A contributor at the New York Times, Ruchir Sharma draws his stories from his travels as a global investor, which take him to a different emerging nation every month. Democracy on the Road takes readers on a ride with Ruchir and along with the brigade of his fellow writers as they talk to everyone from farmers to CEOs, and even interview the likes of Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi.
How the BJP Wins: Inside India’s Greatest Election Machine
What is the secret of Modi’s mass appeal? How exactly does the RSS help during election time? Does communal incitement actually win votes? Author Prashant Jha answers these and more, by talking to BJP insiders, members of the RSS, seasoned observers and voters. How the BJP Wins is an insightful analysis of India’s current ruling party and is a thorough dissection of BJP’s election machine.
Unreal Elections
The founders of the hilarious Unreal Times, C. S. Krishna and Karthik Laxman write a satirical comedy which is likely to offend some. They explore absurdly funny topics such as: Why Narendra Modi’s favourite movie is The Lion King or Why Kejriwal can’t get rid of his shawl in Delhi summer. To top it off, it’s has one of most interesting cover with renowned politicians fighting it out as cartoons.
Costs of Democracy: Political Finance in India
With every general election getting more expensive than its predecessor, one can only imagine the amount of money mindlessly splurged by our politicians. Milan Vaishnav’s Costs of Democracy opens readers’ eyes to ways in which money flows through our country’s democracy. Drawing from extensive fieldwork on political campaigns, the book explores the flow of money in politics; the sources of political finance; the need for such large spending.
‘A Constituency Suitable for Ladies’: And Other Social Histories of Indian Elections
Wendy Singer’s book explores elections, and social history of women in elections in India. Exploring the planned 84 Amendment to the Constitution for 1/3 reservation for women in Parliament, which was never tabled, the book points the way forward if women are to achieve larger roles and power in the electoral process. The author outlines the history of women’s participation in electoral politics and discusses the political realignment that is taking place today.
An Undocumented Wonder: The Great Indian Election
India’s election continues to garner global interest due to its uninterrupted success and consequent challenges of demography, geography, and the mind-boggling diversities. Along with highly informative and exciting inside stories of Indian elections, the author, S. Y. Quraishi shares his experiences and knowledge from the time when he served as the Chief Election Commissioner of India.
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