Articles by Sanjay Kumar

If one were to go by the National Election Study 2009, the democratic upsurge and the contentious issues of the 1990s appear to have had their day. Electoral politics in India in the new century has taken a turn towards more stable trends in voter participation. An analysis of data from the post-poll survey of the nes 2009 and its comparison with category-wise figures for the 2004 Lok Sabha poll, in particular, and some earlier ones, in general, reveal that there were no dramatic changes in the participation scenario of the latest election. There have been of course marginal fluctuations in the figures, but the overall picture that emerges is one of limited participation. However this does not, according to the survey, indicate a decline in interest in politics.

An inability to command support from varied sections of the electorate, a fragmentation of support among the adivasis and youth disenchantment have together contributed to the decline of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in Jharkhand. This is despite years of mobilisation by the organisation for the cause of a separate state and greater political representation for the marginalised people.

This article critically discusses a few aspects of the recommendations of the Fourth Delimitation Commission. While on the whole the commission has done a fair job, there were certain lacunae in the delimitation and constituency demarcation exercise that need to be addressed. The presence of sitting legislators as associate members of the commission has also given cause for complaint of unfair functioning of the commission.

According to the 2001 Census, Andhra Pradesh in the previous decade showed the sharpest deceleration in population growth amongst the major states since independence. However, the evidence does not support such a decline in AP's population growth as none of the underlying factors (literacy, total fertility rate, infant mortality rate, female employment, etc) have moved in any extraordinary way as compared to the all-India figures during this period. Rather, if the 1991 population is correct, there is a distinctive probability of a substantial omission of either households or member(s) within households (or both) in the 2001 Census in the state.

The Congress-JMM have reached an agreement on seat-sharing in Jharkhand. If joined by the RJD and the CPI, this would set up a formidable alliance against the current BJP-led government. The cause of the opposition alliance has also been helped by the presence of JMM leader Shibu Soren, who is seen as a true representative of the state's adivasis.