Handbook of General Elections Electoral Reforms

The golden jubilee year of Indian Republic is the time to explore whether due to frequent elections at the regional and national level, parliamentary democracy in India is still viable or we should embark on any other political system? how regionalism has gained momentum in Indian politics and what has been the trend in 13th general elections and February 2000 Assembly polls in Bihar, Orissa, Manipur and Haryana? How far the Election Commission has been successful in holding free and fair elections?This Handbook seeks to study explanation of all such issues. The book, encyclopaedic in nature, is divided into five sections. Section I. in 3 Chapters, reviews the functioning of democracy in India, the circumstances leading to the coalition era and complexity in governance. A separate chapter explains the entire gamut of electoral law, as amended from time to time, the role of Election Commission in conducting free and fair polls and steps taken by the successive Election Commissioners towards electoral reforms. Section II, in 32 chapters, highlights the situation in each State and Union Territory, electoral politics and the verdict based on local factors. Section III, in 3 chapters, highlights the performance of political parties and groups as well as their leaders. Section IV, in 2 chapters, explains the techniques adopted by the various political parties in electioneering and the role of electronic media and film stars. Section V provides appendices containing an analysis of election results and performance of various political parties during the 13 general elections including latest information of members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and also of the New Government. An exhaustive index appended to the book helps the reader to facilitate easy location of personalities involved in political development in India. This is virtually a handbook of information for all political parties and a useful book for political scientists, scholars, teachers and students of political science as well as modern Indian history.

M.L. Ahuja is Postgraduate in English Literature and holds two Postgraduate Diplomas in Labour Law, Labour Welfare & Personnel Management, as well as in Company Secretary. Ranked among the outstanding intellectuals of the 20th century by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, Mr. Ahuja is the co-author of 1989-1991 Genaral Elections in India, and in the author of Glimpses of Some Great Indians, Presidents of India and Their Constitutional Portrayal, and Electoral Politics and General Elections in India (1952-1998). He has contributed articles to a number of journals mostly on book publishing, marketing of books and marketing of journals. He has also reviewed books of general interest and has presented papers at seminars in India, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, China and Hungary. His article captioned “Vox Populi” is included in a book entitled Presteroika in India: V.P. Singh’s Prime Ministership, compiled and edited by G.S. Bhargava. He had also been the Area Representative of the International Association of Orientalist Librarians. He is associated with publishing and marketing of books and journals for over three decades. He has travelled extensively, both within and outside the country.