Regional Parties in National Politics

Contents: Acknowledgments. 1. Introduction. 2. Theoretical framework: regional political parties. 3. Regional political parties: emergence and growth. 4. Performance of regional political parties in Lok Sabha Elections. 5. Role of regional political parties in National politics. Conclusion. Bibliography.

"Recent years have witnessed a major shift in the Indian political landscape. Regional parties have gradually but decisively emerged on the national scene to determine the fate of democracy in this country. With their rise and the consolidation of their position in national politics, the federal structure and practices have undergone a process of dramatic maturation. This book traces the diverse trajectories that link the politics of regional parties to the political future of Indian democracy. The happy undoing of the old oppositional model of regionalism versus nationalism is explored in meticulous historical detail and empirical analysis." (jacket)