Ballot

543 Lok Sabha seats. More than 4,000 state constituencies. Over 800 million voters. The worlds largest democracy. From the time of its inception, democracy in India has been dubbed miraculous by the worlds media and its elections as a spectacular exercise in human management. In Ballot, Rasheed Kidwai takes us through his pick of seminal elections that have shaped Indian democracy both at the centre and in select states. Highlighting the unique challenges faced by a country that adopted universal adult franchise at the very outset, profiling personalities who have triggered ground-shifts and analysing the causes and consequences of key electoral episodes, he traces the very evolution of Indias democratic process. Combining insightful commentary and colourful anecdotes, Ballot provides a brief, incisive examination of Indias most momentous elections.