Fixing Electoral Boundaries in India

Laws, Processes, Outcomes, and Implications for Political Representation

Edited by Mohd. Sanjeer Alam and Late K.C. Sivaramakrishnan

The first major work on the subject of politics of delimitation of electoral constituencies in India
Arguments advanced in the essays present a wonderful blend of theoretical and empirical underpinnings
Brings together interesting insights from leading specialists and experts in the field

Fixing Electoral Boundaries in India

Laws, Processes, Outcomes, and Implications for Political Representation

Edited by Mohd. Sanjeer Alam and Late K.C. Sivaramakrishnan

Description

Did you know that the latest delimitation of electoral constituencies in India was carried out after a hiatus of three decades? And that the next delimitation will be held after another three decades?

What is an electoral constituency? How are its boundaries fixed? What is delimitation? Why is periodic delimitation of electoral constituencies necessary? What are the philosophical and legal underpinnings of delimiting constituencies? How do constituencies get reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes?

This volume addresses these and other relevant questions that lie at the heart of delimitation of electoral boundaries and have important implications for political representation. Written by some of the leading specialists and experts on the subject of delimitation, the essays discuss how the exercise of delimitation of electoral constituencies is as integral to political representation as political representation is to democracy.

Far from being a techno-bureaucratic exercise, apportioning electoral divisions involves philosophical, political, legal, and practical implications. The essays explain how the process of drawing and redrawing of lines on the electoral map involves contending interests of political parties, of individual politicians, and of spatially and culturally embedded groups.

Fixing Electoral Boundaries in India

Laws, Processes, Outcomes, and Implications for Political Representation

Edited by Mohd. Sanjeer Alam and Late K.C. Sivaramakrishnan

List of Tables and Figures
Preface
Introduction (Mohd. Sanjeer Alam and K.C. Sivaramakrishnan)
Chapter 1 The Concept of Constituency (Andrew Rehfeld)
Chapter 3 Delimitation in India: A Politico-historical Overview (K.C. Sivaramakrishnan)
Chapter 4 One Person, One Vote, Different Values: Comparing Delimitation Practices in India, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States (Lisa Handley)
Chapter 5 Fourth Delimitation of Electoral Constituencies: A Critical Assessment (Sanjay Kumar)
Chapter 6 Identity, Identification, and Political Representation: The Missing Scheduled Tribes in Uttar Pradesh (A.K. Verma)
Chapter 7 Selection of Reserved Seats: Laws, Procedures, Practices, and Implications for Equality of Political Opportunity (Mohd. Sanjeer Alam)
Chapter 8 Delimitation and Political (Under) representation of Minorities: The Case of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh (Mirza Asmer Beg)
Chapter 9 Incumbency in Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Assessing the Impact of Delimitation (Ajit Karnik and Mala Lalvani)
Chapter 10 Delimiting Boundaries of the Third Tier of Democracy: A Note (Bhanu Joshi)
Chapter 11 Socio-economic Profiles for Indiaâs Old Electoral Constituencies, 1971 and 2001 (Rikhil R. Bhavnani and Francesca Refsum Jensenius)
Chapter 12 Matching Census Tracts and Electoral Boundaries: The Bottom-up Aggregation Approach (Mohd. Sanjeer Alam)
Bibliography
Index
About the Editors and Contributors

Fixing Electoral Boundaries in India

Laws, Processes, Outcomes, and Implications for Political Representation

Edited by Mohd. Sanjeer Alam and Late K.C. Sivaramakrishnan

Author Information

Mohd. Sanjeer Alam is Assistant Professor at Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi.

K. C. Sivaramakrishnan was Chairman and Research Professor at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi.

Contributors:

Mohd. Sanjeer Alam is an Assistant Professor at Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi, India; Mirza Asmer Beg is a Professor at the Department of Political Science, Aligarh Muslim University, India; Rikhil R. Bhavnani is an Assistant Professor and Trice Faculty Fellow in the Department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US; Suvrajyoti Gupta is an Assistant Professor at O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonepat (Haryana), India; Lisa Handley is an independent electoral consultant; Francesca Refsum Jensenius is a Senior Research Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Oslo, Norway; Bhanu Joshi is a researcher at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), New Delhi, India; Ajit Karnik is currently Professor of Economics at Middlesex University Dubai, UAE; Sanjay Kumar is a Professor and Director of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi, India; Mala Lalvani is currently the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Ambedkar Chair Professor at the Department of Economics, University of Mumbai, India; Andrew Rehfeld is Associate Professor of Political Science and Professor of Law (by courtesy) at Washington University in St Louis, US; K.C. Sivaramakrishnan (1935â2015) was Research Professor at Centre for Policy Research (CPR), Delhi, India and also Senior Fellow in the Institute of Social Sciences, Delhi, India; A.K. Verma is Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science, Christ Church College, Kanpur, India.