Were India’s 18th national elections historic, simply a return to the normal, or both? Though it formed an alliance-based government, the ruling party fell 32 seats short of the majority mark, lost 63 seats relative to 2019, and had a shortfall of 130 seats compared to its 2024 target. A significant set of issues requires analysis. Were the elections an aggregation of state-level factors, as opposed to being national in tenor? Does the BJP now have a truly national presence? What role did the vast array of welfare benefits play? Were concerns about the Constitution an important determinant of popular vote? How did the Upper Castes, OBCs, Dalits and Muslims vote? Finally, what are the implications of the electoral verdict for democracy, governance, rights and citizenship? Join us for a session to discuss these and other important issues, with leading experts known for their insights, reflections and arguments on the politics of India.
Date: Wednesday, 10 July, 2024Time: 6:00-8:00 PM IST (high tea at 5:30 PM) | 8:30-10:30 AM EST
Venue: Seminar Hall 1, 2, 3, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre, New Delhi, and on Zoom
Chair and Session Moderator:
Ashutosh Varshney, Director, Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia, Brown University
Speakers:
• Asim Ali, Columnist, The Telegraph
• Neelanjan Sircar, Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research
• Niraja Jayal, Avantha Chair and Professor Politics, King’s College London
• Yamini Aiyar, Senior Visiting Fellow, Saxena Center and Watson Institute, Brown University
• Yogendra Yadav, Political activist, currently with Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan
