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- Author: Indrajit Roy x
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Emotions matter to politics. Despite their importance, emotions tend to be neglected in the study of such routine aspects of politics as elections. Whereas emotions have certainly been studied in the context of spectacular political moments, this volume attends to the passions generated by elections, which have all too often been dismissed as a relatively banal dimension of politics. The volume delves into the passions evoked by India’s 2019 general election, widely billed as a ‘battle for India’s soul’. It explores the processes of social, economic and cultural change within which the election was embedded. Contributions from economists, sociologists, geographers, anthropologists and political scientists shed light on a significant political moment in India.
Emotions matter to politics. Despite their importance, emotions tend to be neglected in the study of such routine aspects of politics as elections. Whereas emotions have certainly been studied in the context of spectacular political moments, this volume attends to the passions generated by elections, which have all too often been dismissed as a relatively banal dimension of politics. The introduction reviews the rich literature on the importance of passions to politics, outlining the gaps in the study of emotions in studies of electoral politics. It then highlights the importance of India’s 2019 general election as an empirical case that offers insights into the interdisciplinary study of passions in politics. The chapter closes with an outline of the chapters and themes discussed in the book.
A much-remarked feature of the 2019 Indian general election was the unprecedented support garnered by the BJP among poorer voters. This chapter urges attention to the surging support for the BJP among members of certain caste communities within the poor, compared to others. It further reflects on the ways in which such passionate support entwined with specific political, social and economic rationalities. Support for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) among poor people of ‘upper caste’ or Savarna communities was considerably higher than among either Other Backward Classes (OBCs) or Dalit communities, whose members have been historically oppressed as ‘lower caste’ and ‘untouchable’ respectively. The thumping support for the BJP among the Savarna poor, despite the economic difficulties posed by several policies of Modi’s first government, may be explained by the affirmative action for ‘economically weaker sections’ instituted a few months prior to the election. This chapter reflects on the political emotions that led to the institution of affirmative action for this social class. It first discusses the class basis of the BJP’s re-election. Next, it highlights the caste differentiation of the class vote for the NDA. Third, it discusses the importance of affirmative action in attracting Modi, the BJP and the NDA to the Savarna poor, a social class whose members found themselves with a precarious privilege. The chapter concludes by reflecting on agendas beyond the BJP’s Hindu nationalist welfarism that continue to motivate members of poor people from other castes.