1st Edition

Crossing Lines Cross-Ethnic Coalitions in India and Prospects for Minority Representation

By Madhavi Devasher Copyright 2024
218 Pages 12 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge India

218 Pages 12 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge India

218 Pages 12 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge India

This book explains why, how, and where ethnic political parties unexpectedly seek votes from non-coethnics and when voters support non-coethnic parties. It draws on case studies of three Indian states (Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan) and of Indian national elections to demonstrate how differences in party systems impact political party strategies and voter choices. It shows that multipolar... Read more

1. Why Cross Lines? 2. The Rise of Ethnic Parties in India 3.  A Theory of Cross-Ethnic Linkages in an Ethnic Party System 4. Contending with Competition: Breaking New Ground in Uttar Pradesh 5. Party-Hopping: Why Voters Support Non-Coethnic Parties in Uttar Pradesh? 6. Why Ethnic Exclusivity Prevailed in Punjab & Rajasthan: Party Coalitions and Violence against Minorities 7. Muslim Marginalization, Voting, and Substantive Representation under BJP Dominance 8. Conclusion

Biography

Madhavi Devasher is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). She studies ethnic politics with a particular focus on cross-ethnic political linkages and minority welfare in India. Before UNH, she was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Princeton Institute of International and Regional Studies at Princeton University. She received her PhD in Political Science from Yale University and was recognized as an Exemplary Diversity Scholar by the National Center for Institutional Diversity at the University of Michigan. She has also been awarded grants by the Stanton Foundation and the Macmillan Center at Yale University.